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TKe 

Elliott-FisKer 

Way 

Bookkeepiivg 
by  Machiaery 


A  Text  Book  for  the  Guidance 

of  the  Novice  or  Expert 

Revised  1918 


Dedicated  to  the  Cause 
of  Accounting  Control 


Compiled  and  Published  by 

Elliott-Fisher  Company 

Harrisburg,  Penna.,  U.  S.  A. 


Copyrighted  1916,  all  rights  reserved  by  Elliott-Fisher  Company 
Copyrighted  1918,  all  rights  reserved  by  Elliott-Fisher  Company 


^ 


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TO  THE  OPERATOR 


The  object  of  this  book  is  to  insure  that  you 
will  do  the  right  thing  at  the  right  time,  in  the 
right  way,  all  the  time,  to  the  end  that  you  may 
become  more  valuable  to  your  employer  and  thus 
to  yourself. 


INTRODUCTION 

The  instructions  in  this  book  are  so  detailed  and  compre- 
hensive that  a,ny  one  of  ordinary  intelligence,  without  previous 
experience  in  bookkeeping,  can  quickly  learn  how  to  keep 
books  with  Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine.  With 
a  little  practice  one  can  operate  the  machine  rapidly  and  pro- 
duce accurate  results. 

It  takes  the  novice  only  a  few  weeks  in  Elliott-Fisher  Practi- 
cal Training  School  to  become  fairly  expert  as  an  operator, 
and  to  sufficiently  understand  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery  to 
become  capable  of  doing  ordinary  bookkeeping.  It  usually 
takes  months  to  learn  the  rudiments  of  hand  bookkeeping. 

Elliott-Fisher  Company  has  standardized  The  Bookkeeping 
Machine  for  use  with  standard  forms,  standard  rulings, 
standard  punching  and  standard  loose-leaf  post  binders. 
Such  stationery  and  devices  are  economical  and  can  be  pur- 
chased anywhere. 


404059 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 

Elliott-Fisher  Factory  and  General  Offices 4 

The  Elliott-Fisher  Way 10 

Elliott- Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine 16 

A  "Modern  Office"  Installation 22 

Principles  of  Accounts  Receivable  Routine  Illustrated ...      27 

Some  Operators  Prefer  the  Use  of  a  Copy  Holder 28 

Proof  Sheet — Debits  and  Credits  Posted  in  One  Run ....  34 
Proof  Sheet — Debits  and  Credits  Posted  in  Separate  Runs  40 
A  "Large  Manufacturing  Establishment"  Installation.  .  .   42 

Master  Control 46 

Outline    of    Accounts    Receivable     Ledger    Control    by 

Ledger  Sections  and  Binders 47 

Binder  Control 50 

Letter  Control 50 

Journal  Transfer 51 

The  Bookkeeping  Machine  (Names  and  Locations  of  Parts)  54 
Carriage  Frame  Showing  Location  of  Registers  and  Stop  64 

Numeral  Print  Keys 67 

Two  Styles  of  Figures 70 

Illustrations  of  Errors 73-78 

The  Flat  Writing  Surface 80 

A  "  Nothing-to-do-at-the-end-of-the-month-but-mail-the- 

bill"  Installation 86 

Proof  Sheet  (Examples  of  Posting) 95 

A  "Card  Ledger"  Installation 96 

Proof  Sheet  (Errors  and  Corrections) 103-105 

Installation  Showing  "Section  of  a  Modern  Office" 110 

Standard  Two-Post  Binder 113 

Monthly  Bill,  Coupon  and  Stub 115 

Ledger  Sheet,  in  Colors 116 

Proof  Sheet 117 

Posting  Bar  (in  Use) 119,  120 


The  Elliott- Fisher  Way 


CONTENTS 

Chapter  I 

Fundamental  Principles  ^^^^^^^ 

The  Principles  of  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 1- 

Principal  Accounting  Records 2 

Auxiliary  Accounting  Records 3 

Informative  Accounting  Records 4 

General  Ledger 5 

Accounts  Receivable  (Sales  Ledger) 6 

Skeleton  Entry  (Wholesale  Business) 7 

Itemized  Entry  (Retail  Business) 8 

Accounts  Payable  (Purchase  Ledger) 9 

Other  Purchase  Records 10 

Other  Ledgers  and  Records 11 

Rules  for  Double  Entry  Bookkeeping 12 

Principles  of  Accounts  Receivable  Routine  Described  ....  13 

Chapter  II 

Posting  Mediums 

Charges  to  be  Debited 14 

Merchandise  Returns  to  be  Credited 15 

Cash  Payments  to  be  Credited 16 

Journal  or  Miscellaneous  Items  to  be  Debited  or  Credited  . .  17 

Advantages  of  Loose  Leaf  Records  for  Posting 18 

Arranging  the  Units  of  the  Posting  Medium 19 

Pre-determined  Total  of  Old  Balances 20 

Chapter  III 

Transferring  From  Hand  to  Machine  Ledger 

Proven  Trial  Balance  of  Old  Ledger 21 

Heading  Up  Accounts  for  the  New  Ledger 22 

The  Proof  Sheet 23 

Combining  Bill  or  Statement  and  Ledger 24 

Ledger  Without  Statement 25 

Daily  Balance  of  Accounts 26 

Proof  of  Bringing  Down  the  Old  Balance — A  Pre-deter- 
mined Adding  Machine  Total — Extra  Column  Register . .  27 

Posting  Debits  and  Credits  at  Separate  Runs 28—29 

Posting  Debits  and  Credits  at  One  Run 30 


Chapter  IV 

Control  Section 

The  Principles  of  Control 31 

Detail  of  Control 32 

Master  Control 33 

Letter  Control 34 

Binder  Control 35—36 

Journal  Transfers 37 

C.  O.  D.  Control 38 


Chapter  V 
The  Machine  and  Its  Operation 

Individual  Registers 39 

Old  Balance  Register 40 

Items  Register 41 

Debit  Register 42 

Credit  Register 43 

Balance  Register 44 

Crossfooter  Register 45 

Principles  of  Machine  Operation 46 

Setting  Up  Tabulator  Stops  and  Registers 47 

Rules  for  Tabulating 48 

Location  of  Tabulator  Stops 49 

Location  of  Registers  on  Register  Bar 50 

Location  of  Crossfooter  Control  Stops 51 

Actuator  Control 52 

Clearing  Registers 53 

Crossfooter  Control 54 

Disconnecting  and  Connecting  Crossfooter  Register 55 

Star  Clear  Signal  Printing  Device 56 

Writing  and  Adding  in  Column  Registers 57 

Writing  and  Subtracting  in  Column  Registers 58 

The  Rule  for  Complements 59 

Writing,  Adding  and  Subtracting  in  the  Crossfooter 60 

Examples 61 

Use  of  Non-Print  Keys 62 

Two  Styles  of  Figures 63 

Rules  for  Subtracting  and  Printing 64 


Section 
Examples :  65 

Use  of  Numeral  0  Key  (In  Column  Register) 66 

67 
68 
69 
70 


Use  of  Alphabet  Letter  O  Key  (In  Column  Register) . 
Copying  a  Credit  Balance  (In  the  Balance  Column) . 

Use  of  Numeral  0  Key  (In  the  Balance  Column) 

Misuse  of  Numeral  0  Key  (In  the  Balance  Column) .  . 
Use  of  Alphabet  Letter  O  Key  (In  the  Balance  Column) ,  71 
Entering  a  Credit  Balance  (In  the  Old  Balance  Column),  72 
Use  of  Numeral  0  Key  (In  the  Old  Balance  Column),  73 
Misuse  of  Numeral  0  Key  (In  the  Old  Balance  Column),  74 
Correct  Use  of  Alphabet  Letter  O  Key  (In  the  Old  Bal- 
ance Column) 75 

Use  of  Complement  Key 76 

Misuse  of  Complement  Key: 

After  Last  Figure  of  Value  (In  Balance  Column) 77 

Before  Last  Figure  of  Value  (In  Balance  Column) 78 

Failure  to  Press  Complement  Key: 

In  Balance  Column 79 

In  Old  Balance  Column 80 

Misuse  of  the  Shift  Key 81 

A  Homely  Illustration  of  Freak  Errors 82 

A  Safe  Rule  for  Entering  Credit  Balances 83 

Flat  Writing  Surface ,  . .  .  84 

Placing  Forms  in  the  Machine 85 

Details  of  Operation 86 

Examples  of  Entries: 

Debit  to  an  Account  Having  No  Old  Balance 87 

Debit  to  an  Account  Having  an  Old  Debit  Balance ....  88 
Debit  to  an  Account  Having  an  Old  Credit  Balance : 

Charge  Being  Larger  Than  Old  Balance 89 

Charge  Being  Smaller  Than  Old  Balance 90 

Credit  to  an  Account  Having  an  Old  Debit  Balance: 

Old  Balance  Being  Larger  Than  Credit 91 

Old  Balance  Being  Smaller  Than  Credit 92 

Credit  to  an  Account  Having  No  Old  Balance 93 

Credit  to  an  Account  Having  an  Old  Credit  Balance ...  94 

Rules  for  Proving  the  Work 95-96 


Chapter  VI 

Errors 

Section 
Errors  Resulting  from  Misoperation  and  How  to  Correct 

Them 97 

Locating  Errors 98 

Correction  of  Errors 99 

The  Rule 100 

Old  Balance  Column  Errors 101 

Debit  Column  Errors 102 

Credit  Column  Errors 103 

Balance  Column  Errors 104 

Correction  for  Each  Error 105 

Proof  Sheet  Record 106 

Proof  Sheet  is  the  Itemized  Journal 107 

Examples  of  Proof  Sheets 108 

To  Secure  Total  of  Errors 109 

Authority  for  Corrections 110 

Rewriting  Statements Ill 

What  Causes  Mistakes 112 


Chapter  VII 

General  Information 

Different  Colored  Carbon  (Convenient  for  Reference) .  .  .  .113 

Transferring  Filled  Ledger  Sheets 114 

Round  Cornered  Ledger  Sheets 115 

Monthly  Bill  Coupon 116 

Collection  Department  Information 117 

Physical  Make-Up  of  Ledger 118 

Kinds  of  Ledgers 119 

Solid-Hole  Punched  Ledger  Sheets 120 

Speed  is  Measured  by  Accuracy 121 


*       «  «  • 


k 


I 


Elliott- Fisher  The  BooKK:i^EPiNG  Machinje  ^   _  1.7 

Chapter  I 
FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES  ~ 

1 — The  Principles  of  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

Bookkeeping  by  Machinery  is  the  mechanical  method  of 
recording  business  transactions  in  a  distinct  and  systematic 
manner. 

A  business  transaction  is  an  exchange  of  values. 

The  proper  recording  of  business  transactions  entails  a  writ- 
ten description  of  every  entry,  computation  and  recording  of 
the  figures  of  value,  and  the  balancing  of  accounts  affected 
together  with  proof  of  correctness  of  the  entire  work. 

There  is  a  vast  difference  between  complete  Bookkeeping  by 
Machinery  and  Posting  to  different  records  by  machine. 

Bookkeeping  by  Machinery  completes  the  ledger  and  written 
proof,  or  the  ledger,  statement  and  written  proof,  whichever 
method  is  followed,  and  balances  all  records  in  a  single  operation. 

Posting  by  Machinery  merely  records  the  entry  on  some  of 
the  necessary  records,  while  proof  of  correctness  is  secured  by 
one  or  more  additional  operations. 

Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine  posts,  balances 
and  proves  all  the  work  on  all  the  records  at  one  simple,  easy, 
rapid  operation. 

Accuracy  is  the  principal  consideration  in  Bookkeeping  by 
Machinery.  Machine  Bookkeeping  which  does  the  work  so 
carefully  and  accurately  all  the  month  long  that  it  finishes  the 
work  promptly  at  the  end  of  the  month  and  produces  a  correct 
trial  balance  without  delay,  is  the  only  kind  of  machine  book- 
keeping worthy  of  the  name. 

Finishing  accurately  and  promptly  at  the  end  of  the  month 
is  vital — that  is  speed.  Hurry  in  making  entries  during  the 
day's  work  is  frequently  construed  to  be  speed — but  it  is  not 
speed. 

Speed  is  performance.  Hurry  is  confusion.  The  really  f2ist 
operator  never  hurries.  Remember  the  fable  of  the  tortoise 
and  the  hare. 

When  taking  over  a  set  of  books  from  some  one  else  to  keep, 
it  is  a  safe  rule  to  take  off  a  trial  balance  to  ascertain  if  the 


1§    ,  ,    ,    .,    ,   _  BOOKKEF-PJNG  BY  MACHINERY 

books  are  in  balance.  It  is  only  fair  to  employer  and  employee 
to  know  where  to  place  the  responsibility  if  any  error  or  irreg- 
ularity exists.  This  is  an  imperative  rule  in  bookkeeping 
whether  done  by  hand  or  machine. 

2 — Principal  Accounting  Records 

Ledger — ^The  authoritative  and  final  book  of  record. 

Posting  Mediums — Books,  vouchers,  sales  tickets,  cash  slips, 
etc.,  the  original  and  primary  record,  in  whatever  form  it  may 
be  kept,  from  which  the  items  are  posted  to  the  ledger. 

3 — Auxiliary  Accounting  Records 

Secondary  or  departmental  ledgers,  journals,  sales,  purchase, 
cash  and  other  records  intermediary  or  explanatory  between 
the  primary  or  original  entry  and  the  final  ledger  account. 

4 — Informative  Accounting  Records 

Bills,  statements,  etc.,  sent  to  customers — statistics,  reports, 
abstracts,  etc.,  furnished  to  officers,  proprietors,  correspondents 
and  owners. 

In  bookkeeping,  all  the  accounting  records,  Principal, 
Auxiliary  and  Informative,  are  used.  For  example:  In  ordi- 
nary Bookkeeping  by  Machinery,  The  Ledger  (Principal), 
Statement  (Informative)  and  Proof  Sheet  (Auxiliary)  are 
made  at  one  operation.  It  is  important  in  good  accounting 
that  all  records,  whether  Principal,  Informative  or  Auxiliary, 
be  complete,  accurate,  neat  and  legible. 

The  fewer  operations  necessary  to  complete  all  records  of 
all  kinds,  the  greater  the  efficiency. 

Elliott- Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine  harmonizes  with 
the  fundamentals  of  accounting  principles.  It  mechanically 
aids  the  human  element  to  do,  accurately  and  effectively,  in  one 
simple,  easy  operation,  what  otherwise  must  be  accomplished 
in  several  operations.  Thus  it  saves  much  waste  of  time, 
labor  and  effort. 

5 — General  Ledger 

Accounts  in  this  ledger  are  known  as  controlling  accounts. 
In  a  modern,  double-entry  bookkeeping  system,  controlling 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine         19 

accounts  prove  and  balance  all  accounts  kept  in  all  the  other 
books  of  the  business. 

It  is  inconvenient  and  inefficient  in  a  big  business  to  keep 
individual  records  of  sales  and  purchases,  of  cash  payments" 
and  other  credits,  of  adjustments,  discounts,  etc.,  in  the  General 
Ledger. 

For  convenience  in  keeping  a  condensed  record  in  one  ledger, 
in  an  ordinary  business,  only  totals  of  all  accounts  are  posted 
at  regular  intervals  to  the  General  Ledger.  Details  are  kept 
in  auxiliary  books.  All  books  kept  in  business  must  balance 
with  the  General  Ledger.  For  example:  There  might  be  a 
collection  of  many  accounts  with  individuals  or  firms  in  the 
Sales  Ledger,  but  only  one  posting  of  total  sales  for  a  given 
pyeriod  is  made  to  the  General  Ledger.  The  sales  account  in 
the  General  Ledger  may  be  subdivided  by  sales  ledger  groups. 
So  with  the  detailed  record  of  cash  payments  kept  in  the  Cash 
Book.  So  with  the  detailed  record  of  sales,  of  purchases,  credits 
and  adjustments.  So  with  the  Purchase  Ledger  or  Purchase 
Record.  While  there  might  be  many  individual  accounts  of 
sales  to  and  purchases  from  individuals  or  firms,  only  totals 
of  goods  bought  (or  manufactured)  and  sold  are  shown  in  the 
General  Ledger.  Only  gross  totals  of  such  sales  and  purchases 
are  posted  periodically  to  the  controlling  accounts  in  the 
General  Ledger. 

6 — Accounts  Receivable  (Sales  Ledger) 

The  sales  ledger,  known  as  Accounts  Receivable,  contains  a 
record  of  goods  sold  on  account  and  charged  to  individuals. 
These  individuals  have  had  extended  to  them  the  privilege  of 
a  charge  account — usually  a  limited  amount  of  credit,  for  a 
given  length  of  time.  The  account  is  supposed  to  be  paid,  and 
usually  is  paid  regularly,  but  sometimes  runs  unpaid  beyond 
the  time  specified  for  settlement.  Then  it  becomes  known  as  a 
delinquent  account. 

Accounts  are  variously  indexed  in  the  ledger  or  binders 
used,  but  usually  they  are  arranged  alphabetically  by  names  of 
customers.  To  the  Accounts  Receivable  Ledger  are  posted  all 
merchandise  sales,  merchandise  credits  and  cash  credits. 

A  Sales  Ledger  contains  a  record  of  goods  sold  to  individuals 


20  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

or  firms  which  are  not  paid  for  at  the  time  of  sale.    Accounts 
kept  in  this  ledger  are  assets. 

7 — Skeleton  Entry  (Wholesale  Business) 

In  the  Wholesale  business  only  the  skeletonized  portion  or 
total  amount  of  the  charge  shown  on  the  bill  is  posted  to  the 
ledger.  This  is  called  a  "Skeleton"  ledger.  In  this  kind  of 
ledger  posting  no  detailed  description  of  goods  or  individual 
items  of  the  bill  show  on  the  ledger.  All  goods  regularly  charged 
to  customers'  accounts  are  designated  under  the  abbreviation 
"Mdse."  in  the  item  or  description  column  of  the  ledger,  or  as 
has  become  generally  customary,  only  date  and  amount  are 
shown.  No  abbreviation  is  used.  Only  one  entry  is  made  for 
each  bill  of  goods  charged  to  the  customer's  account.  This 
simple  form  of  ledger  requires  no  extended  explanation. 

8 — Itemized  Entry  (Retail  Business) 

In  the  Retail  business  the  quantity  of  goods  sold,  description 
of  goods  by  items  and  prices  are  entered  on  the  ledger  in  detail 
in  the  item  or  description  column.  In  ordinary  practice  only 
the  total  of  the  bill  or  sales  ticket  is  extended  in  the  Charge  or 
Debit  Column.  Where  there  is  more  than  one  sales  ticket 
entered  to  one  account  at  one  posting,  only  one  total  is  extended 
in  the  Charge  or  Debit  Column. 

This  kind  of  ledger  is  called  "Itemized"  or  "Detail" 
ledger  because  all  details  are  shown. 

9 — Accounts  Payable  (Purchase  Ledger) 

Accounts  in  this  ledger  are  a  record  of  goods  purchased, 
obligations  assumed  and  payments  made  to  others.  It  is 
known  as  Accounts  Payable.  To  the  Accounts  Payable  Ledger 
are  posted  all  purchase  credits  as  well  as  debits  of  cash  paid  or 
goods  returned. 

10 — Other  Purchase  Records 

An  Accounts  Payable  record  is  not  always  kept  in  the  form 
of  a  ledger  with  individual  accounts  for  persons  or  firms.  Some- 
times a  business  house  keeps  a  continuous  record  of  purchases 
in  the  form  of  a  chronological  record  of  bills  contracted  by  due 


fej 


O 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine  23 

date,  or  a  complete  record  of  bills  paid,  with  date  of  payment 
and  voucher  number  of  each  account.  Accounts  kept  in  this 
ledger  are  liabilities. 

Sometimes  it  becomes  a  departmental  or  a  material  ledger, 
the  goods  purchased  being  classified  by  materials  or  depart- 
ments— or  both. 

This  is  known  as  Purchase  Analysis. 

11 — Other  Ledgers  and  Records 

There  are  other  ledgers  and  accounting  records  kept  in  a 
modern  business  which  vary  with  the  nature  and  detail  of  the 
business.  These  include:  Stock  Ledger,  Private  Ledger,  sub- 
sidiary records  such  as  Cash  Book,  Journal,  Sales  and  Purchase 
Records,  Order  Records,  Sales  and  Purchase  Distribution 
Records,  etc.  All  have  their  specific  uses  and  bear  a  direct 
relation  to  the  General  Ledger  controlling  accounts.  These 
are  kept  in  such  form  as  to  quickly  sum  up  (balance)  the  total 
results  of  all  records  kept  in  all  departments  of  a  business. 

All  accounting  records  can  be  written  on  Elliott-Fisher  The 
Bookkeeping  Machine.  In  this  test  it  is  impossible  to  describe 
in  detail  all  the  variations  of  ledgers  peculiar  to  all  kinds  of 
bus  ness  offices. 

One  who  becomes  familiar  with  one  kind  of  ledger  can  easily 
handle  any  form  of  ledger.  With  careful  study  anyone  can 
easily  understand  the  different  forms  of  accounting  which  are 
ordinarily  used  in  business. 


p 


12 — Rules  for  Double  Entry  Bookkeeping 

This  book  describes  in  detail  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery  in 
a  retail  business  which  uses  the  Accounts  Receivable  itemized 

L ledger.  These  instructions  with  a  few  modifications  are  appli- 
cable to  a  skeleton  (wholesale)  ledger ;  to  a  purchase  (Accounts 
Payable)  ledger;   to  a  General  Ledger;   to  Bank  Ledgers;   to 
the  ledgers  of  Public  Service  Companies.  The  fundamentals 
of  accounting  are  the  same  in  all  lines  of  business,  viz. : — 
DEBIT  (Charge)  what  comes  in. 
For  instance,  cash  is  received  from  customers  on  account. 
Cash  is  debited.  The  customers'  individual  accounts  must, 
of  course,  be  credited. 
CREDIT  what  goes  out. 


24  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

For  instance,  sales  are  made.  The  goods  go  out  and  Mer- 
chandise account  is  credited.  The  individual  customers' 
accounts  must,  of  course,  be  debited  (charged). 

For  every  amount  entered  to  the  debit  side  of  an  account  or 
accounts  in  the  ledger  a  like  amount  must  be  entered  to  the 
credit  side  of  some  other  account  or  accounts. 

Likewise  for  every  amount  entered  on  the  credit  side  of  an 
account  or  accounts  in  the  ledger  a  like  amount  must  be 
entered  to  the  debit  side  of  some  other  account  or  accounts. 

On  Accounts  Receivable  Ledger,  the  charges  are  posted  to 
the  Debit  side  of  individual  customers*  accounts.  This  ledger 
is  represented  on  the  General  Ledger  by  an  Accounts  Receiv- 
able Account.  tChe  total  of  these  charges  is  posted  to  the  debit 
side  of  this  account  and  the  corresponding  credit  posting  is 
made  by  entering  the  same  total  to  the  credit  side  of  Mer- 
chandise or  Sales  Account  on  the  General  Ledger,  j 

On  Accounts  Payable  Ledger,  the  credits  are  posted  to  the 
credit  side  of  the  individual  vendors'  accounts.  This  ledger  is 
represented  on  the  General  Ledger  by  an  Accounts  Payable 
Account<_The  total  of  these  credits  is  posted  to  the  credit  side 
of  this  account  and  the  corresponding  debit  posting  is  made  by 
entering  the  same  total  to  the  debit  side  of  Merchandise  or 
Purchases  Account  on  the  General  Ledger.  7 

The  same  principle  of  double  entry  TTolds  good  where  a 
voucher  system  instead  of  a  regular  Purchase  Ledger  is  used. 

Cash  received  from  customers  to  apply  against  charge 
accounts  on  Accounts  Receivable  Ledger  is  credited  to  the 
Individual  Customers'  Accounts.  The  total  of  these  cash  pay- 
ments is  posted  in  the  General  Ledger  to  the  credit  side  of 
Accounts  Receivable  Account  and  the  same  total  is  posted  to 
the  debit  side  of  Cash  Account,  on  the  General  Ledger. 

Cash  paid  vendors  to  apply  against  purchases  on  Accounts 
Payable  Ledger  (or  Voucher  system)  is  debited  to  the  Individ- 
ual Vendors*  Accounts.  The  total  of  these  cash  payments  to 
vendors  is  posted  to  the  debit  side  of  Accounts  Payable 
Account  and  the  same  total  is  posted  to  the  credit  side  of  Cash 
Account,  on  the  General  Ledger. 

A  "Trial  Balance"  of  the  General  Ledger  is  a  listing  of  the 
balances  shown  on  all  accounts  upon  the  General  Ledger — to 
determine  if  the  total  of  all  the  debit  balances  is  equal  to  the 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine         25 

total  of  all  the  credit  balances.  If  the  General  Ledger  book^ 
keeping  has  been  done  correctly  these  totals  will  agree.  Supple- 
mentary "Trial  Balances"  are  taken  from  the  Accounts 
Receivable,  Accounts  Payable  and  any  other  Auxiliary  Ledgers 
to  determine  if  they  balance  with  their  respective  Control 
Accounts  on  the  General  Ledger. 

The  interlocking  or  reconciling  of  these  two  sets  of  figures 
or  totals  (Debits  and  Credits)  on  the  General  Ledger  estab- 
lishes absolute  "Control"  over  all  auxiliary  ledgers  and  books. 

13 — Principles  of  Accounts  Receivable  Routine  Described 

See  illustration  page  27 

Sales  Clerk — Makes  the  sale,  makes  out  charge  ticket  in 
duplicate  or  triplicate,  and  enters  the  amount  of  the  sale  on 
the  sales  book  index  or  summary. 

Charge  Tickets — ^which  individual  sales  clerk  has  made  out, 
go  to  the  Sorting  Desk. 

Sales  Index  or  Summary — ^which  sales  clerk  has  made  out 
showing  all  sales  for  day,  goes  to  the  Audit. 

Accounts  Receivable  Cashier — Receives  payments  from 
charge  customers;  balances  her  cash  against  cash  payment 
tickets  (cash  slips),  and  totals  cash  received. 

I  Cash  Slips — ^which  Accounts  Receivable  Cashier  has  received 

or  which  she  has  made  out,  go  to  the  Sorting  Desk. 
Total  of  Cash  Received — which  Accounts  Receivable  Cashier 
has  received  for  day,  goes  to  the  Audit. 
Merchandise  Return  Desk — Receives  goods  returned  from 
charge  customers;  makes  out  or  approves  merchandise  credit 
tickets,  and  also  makes  a  summary  or  total  of  all  goods  returned 
^  for  the  day. 

Merchandise  Credit  Tickets — ^which  the  merchandise  return 
desk  has  made  out  or  approved,  go  to  the  Sorting  Desk. 

Summary  or  Total  of  Merchandise  Returned— which  mer- 
chandise credit  desk  has  made  up  for  the  day,  goes  to  the 
Audit. 

Audit  by  Clerks  and  Departments— The  work  of  all  Sales 
Clerks,  Accounts  Receivable  Cashiers,  and  Merchandise 
Return  Desks  is  audited  daily  to  be  sure  that  all  tickets  have 
been  accounted  for;  having  done  so  the  totals  of  sales,  cash 
and  returns  for  the  day  are  ascertained  and  sent  to  the  Con- 


26 


Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 


trol  Desk.  Sometimes  when  the  Sorting  Desk  and  Audit 
Department  are  closely  related,  the  Audit  may  also  supply  the 
Sorting  Desk  with  the  totals  of  sales,  cash,  returns,  etc. 

Sorting  Desk — Charge  tickets,  cash  slips,  and  merchandise 
credit  tickets  are  here  sorted  by  ledger  sections,  and  then 
alphabetically,  for  the  Bookkeeping  Department.  Predeter- 
mined totals  are  usually  taken  by  ledger  sections  and  the  totals 
sent  to  the  Control  Desk. 

Bookkeeping  Machines — Charge  tickets,  cash  slips  and 
merchandise  credit  tickets  which  have  been  arranged  according 
to  ledger  sections  by  the  Sorting  Desk  are  now  entered  on  the 
statement  (bill),  ledger  and  proof  sheet.  The  totals  of  charge 
sales,  cash  slips  and  merchandise  credit  tickets  which  are 
posted  are  shown  by  the  proof  sheet.  These  proof  sheet  totals 
go  to  the  Control  Desk. 

Control  Desk — ^The  proof  sheet  totals  of  charge  tickets, 
cash  slips  and  merchandise  credit  tickets  which  have  been 
posted  by  the  Bookkeeping  Machines  are  here  balanced  against 
the  totals  as  furnished  by  the  Sorting  Desk;  and  the  final 
figures  which  result  from  balancing  the  Bookkeeping  Machine 
totals  and  the  Sorting  Desk  totals,  are  balanced  against  the 
totals  of  sales,  cash  and  returns  as  furnished  by  the  Audit. 
Thus  all  work  is  proved  correct  and  perfect  control  of  the 
Accounts  Receivable  Department  is  established. 


H 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine 


27 


Principles  of  Accounts  Receivable  Routine  Illustrated 


Some  Operators  Prefer  the  Use  of  a  Copy  Holder 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine  29 

Chapter  II 
POSTING  MEDIUMS 

14 — Charges  to  be  Debited 

Charges  to  be  posted  may  be  entered  from  a  copy  of  the 
individual  bill  previously  mailed  or  delivered  to  the  customer, 
or  from  a  copy  of  the  sales  ticket  given  to  the  customer  by  the 
sales  person  at  the  time  of  sale. 

In  wholesale  ledger  posting,  posting  medium  of  charges  may 
be  a  continuous  or  chronological  record  of  sales  to  a  number 
of  customers  entered  on  one  sheet,  or  copy  of  the  original  bill, 
or  the  original  copy  of  the  order  which  has  had  the  prices 
extended  and  totaled. 

Whatever  may  be  the  sales  record  from  which  the  postings 
are  made  to  the  ledger,  it  is  called  the  Merchandise  Debit 
Posting  Medium  and  the  items  are  debited  or  charged  to  cus- 
tomers' accounts. 

It  is  always  desirable  to  have  the  posting  medium  reach  the 
ledger  or  posting  clerk  in  the  form  of  units  (individual  charges) 
rather  than  a  chronological  or  other  continuous  record  of  sales 
(whether  bound  book  or  loose  leaf  record),  because  the  unit 
record  can  be  more  conveniently  handled  and  sorted  to  ledgers 
by  accounts,  and  arranged  (stuffed)  in  ledgers  before  the  posting 
is  done. 

15 — Merchandise  Returns  to  be  Credited 

Merchandise  Returns  (goods  returned)  to  be  posted  to  cus- 
tomers' accounts  may  be  entered  from  a  copy  of  the  credit 
memorandum  issued  to  the  customer  when  goods  are  called 
for  or  returned ;  or  credits  may  be  posted  from  a  Merchandise 
Return  book  or  other  record  of  such  credits.  Merchandise 
Return  Credit  Slips  (units)  represent  a  copy  of  memorandum 
issued  to  customer  at  time  goods  are  returned.  This  is  the  better 
form  and  is  generally  used. 

Whatever  the  form  employed,  it  is  called  Merchandise 
Credit  Posting  Medium  and  the  items  are  credited  to  custom- 
ers' accounts  the  same  as  though  so  much  cash  had  been 
paid  on  account. 


30  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

16 — Cash  Payments  to  be  Credited 

Cash  payments  to  be  posted  may  be  entered  from  the  cus- 
tomer's personal  check,  draft,  note,  remittance  letter  or  mem- 
orandum, record  of  cash  payments  entered  in  a  Cash  Book 
(loose  leaf  or  bound  book),  copy  of  cashier's  receipt  for  cash 
payments  made  personally  at  the  store  by  the  customer,  or 
the  coupon  portion  of  the  customer's  bill  which  has  been  torn 
off  and  mailed  to  the  store  with  the  customer's  check,^or  brought 
to  the  store  and  paid  in  person.    (See  Page  115.) 

Whatever  the  form  used  it  is  called  Cash  Credit  Posting 
Medium  from  which  the  items  are  credited  to  customers' 
accounts. 

17 — Journal  or  Miscellaneous  Items  to  be  Debited  or  Credited 

Occsisionally  there  are  explanatory  entries  to  be  made,  a 
transfer  of  an  item  from  one  account  to  another  to  adjust  an 
entry  that  has  been  made  in  error,  or  to  get  some  worthless 
item  into  the  profit  and  loss  account,  etc.  To  cover  such 
explanatory  entries,  it  is  the  usual  and  proper  custom  to  make 
a  journal  or  explanatory  record  from  which  to  post  into  the 
ledger.  Such  record  is  generally  known  as  the  Journal  Posting 
Medium. 

18 — Advantages  of  Loose  Leaf  Records  for  Posting 

Sometimes,  but  not  often,  the  posting  medium  is  a  bound 
sales  book,  a  bound  cash  book,  or  bound  journal  of  merchan- 
dise credits.  In  modern  institutions  Loose  Leaf  units  are 
generally  used,  because  they  are  easily  handled  and  readily 
classified.  Loose  Leaf  units  for  each  transaction  are  more 
adaptable  as  posting  mediums  than  bound  book  or  continuous 
Loose  Leaf  records;  they  are  more  easily  sorted,  classified  and 
arranged  to  suit  the  requirements  of  modern  ledger  posting. 
Unit  records  can  be  readily  sorted  alphabetically  by  customers* 
names,  territorially,  numerically,  by  salesman,  by  goods,  by 
departments,  or  by  branches,  depending  upon  the  nature  of  the 
business  and  the  particular  way  the  ledger  accounts  are  classi- 
fied. A  total  of  items  to  be  posted  (predetermined  total)  to 
the  Ledger  is  usually  provided  by  the  Auditing  Department. 
With  unit  records  it  is  easy  to  get  such  a  predetermined  total. 
This  is  further  explained  elsewhere  under  "Control." 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine  31 

19 — Arranging  the  Units  of  the  Posting  Medium 

The  posting  medium  units  must  be  sorted  alphabetically  by 
customers'  names  before  posting.  In  Bookkeeping  by  Machin- 
ery, it  is  advisable  to  "stuff"  the  posting  medium  (tickets)  into 
the  ledger  binder  before  the  machine  operation  begins;  they 
should  be  "stuffed**  so  that  about  one- third  of  the  ticket  pro- 
trudes from  the  top  or  bottom  of  the  binder.  There  is  con- 
siderable advantage  in  this  plan  of  operation  over  the  method 
of  "finding"  the  account  as  the  posting  is  done.  When  other 
clerks  "stuff"  the  ledger  for  the  machine  operator,  the  ma- 
chine is  kept  running  continuously,  which  means  that  the 
operator  turns  out  more  work.  This  is  one  reason  why  some 
operators  post  more  tickets  in  a  day  than  other  operators.  If 
the  machine  operator  "stuffs"  the  ledger  herself  before  starting 
to  post,  she  can  handle  more  tickets  per  day  than  the  operator 
who  "finds"  the  accounts,  as  she  posts.  It  is  always  better  to 
do  one  thing  at  a  time — the  mind  can  be  better  concentrated. 
When  the  operator  "stuffs"  the  binder  she  is  not  thinking  of 
machine  operation  and  finds  the  account  more  quickly; 
there  is  less  liability  of  posting  to  the  wrong  account.  Tickets 
with  wrong  names,  addresses,  etc.,  which  in  actual  work  must 
be  looked  up  before  being  placed  to  an  account,  can  be  thus 
laid  aside  until  the  "stuffing"  operation  is  completed,  when  all 
the  "doubtful"  tickets  can  be  looked  up  at  one  time.  This 
feature  is  very  important  because  when  the  operator  is  "find- 
ing" the  accounts  as  she  posts,  all  "doubtful"  tickets  must  be 
looked  up  as  they  appear.  Many  trips  are  necessary,  the 
machine  operation  is  delayed,  the  regular  routine  is  upset  and 
the  operator's  mind  is  constantly  diverted  from  one  thing  to 
another.  The  ideal  plan  in  actual  work  is  for  one  clerk  to 
"stuff"  the  ledger  for  two  or  three  machine  operators. 

20— Pre-determined  Total  of  Old  Balances 

The  clerk  or  operator  who  "stuffs"  the  ledger  binder  takes 
it  to  the  listing  machine  and  secures  a  total  of  balances  of  all 
accounts  which  are  to  be  affected  by  posting.  These  are 
marked  by  the  "stuffed"  tickets  extending  from  the  top  or 
bottom  of  the  binder.  This  listing  ordinarily  requires  only  a 
few  minutes  per  binder.  (See  also  proof  of  bringing  down  old 
balance  correctly,  Section  27.) 


32  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 


Lots  of  men  with  good  jobs  and  a 
fine  future  before  them  are  forever 
thinlcing  how  nice  some  other  job 
somewhere  else  would  be  and  for- 
getting that  any  job  worth  while 
has  its  troubles  and  difficulties  that 
must  be  overcome  —  "true  love 
never  did  run  smooth**— and  the 
best  piece  of  machinery  gets  a  hot 
bearing  once  in  a  while. 

The  man  who  sticks  and  proves 
by  his  sticking  that  he  can  sur- 
mount difficulties  and  iron  out 
trouble-wrinkles  is  generally  the 
first  man  the  boss  runs  into  when 
a  reliable,  steady,  trustworthy  man 
is  needed  to  fill  some  unexpected 
emergency. 

Anybody  can  move  but  it  takes 
ability  to  remain. 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine  33 

Chapter  III 
TRANSFERRING  FROM  HAND  TO  MACHINE  LEDGER 

21— Proven  Trial  Balance  of  Old  Ledger 

A  proven  balance  sheet  of  all  accounts  (names  and  amounts) 
in  the  old  hand  ledger  is  taken  off. 

From  this  proven  balance  sheet  accounts  are  opened  in  the 
new  machine  ledger. 

The  entering  of  names  and  addresses  on  the  bill  or  statement 
and  ledger  should  be  begun  several  days  before  the  accounts 
are  transferred.  After  these  have  been  entered  the  transfer  of 
balances  from  the  old  Balance  Sheet  is  made  in  the  following 
manner:  Beginning  with  the  first  account  shown,  the  bill  or 
statement  and  ledger  sheet  are  placed  in  writing  position  (see 
Section  85).  The  Crossfooter  register  is  disconnected  (see 
Section  55)  and  the  balance  register  is  employed  for  the  purpose 
of  adding  the  balances  as  they  are  entered  in  the  balance  column. 
After  the  balance  has  been  entered,  the  name  of  the  account 
affected  is  written  on  the  margin  of  the  ledger,  for  the  reasons 
described  in  Section  86.  The  sub-total  of  the  accounts  shown 
in  the  register  is  compared  with  the  corresponding  sub-total 
shown  on  the  Old  Balance  Sheet  at  the  end  of  each  proof  sheet. 
If  not  correct,  the  sheets  are  laid  side  by  side  and  compared 
until  the  difference  is  located. 

The  proven  balance  sheet  from  the  old  hand  ledgers  and 
the  proven  balance  sheet  starting  the  new  machine  ledgers 
must  agree  before  any  further  work  is  done. 

These  two  proven  balance  sheets,  one  finishing  the  old  hand 
ledger,  the  other  starting  the  new  machine  ledger,  should  be 
kept  by  those  in  control  so  that  if  any  errors  are  discovered  in 
the  old  hand  ledger  after  the  new  machine  ledger  is  started 
there  will  be  definite  assurance  that  the  necessary  corrections 
are  made  in  the  new  machine  ledger. 

No  attempt  should  ever  be  made  under  any  condition  or 
circumstance  to  start  a  new  ledger  by  copying  balances  directly 
from  the  old  ledger.  Such  attempts  will  result  in  confusion 
and  dissatisfaction. 


34 


Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 


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Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine         35 

22 — Heading  Up  Accounts  for  the  New  Ledger 

A  separate  ledger  sheet  and  statement  must  be  headed  up 
for  each  customer  showing  name,  address  and  amount  as  per 
proven  balance  sheet  provided. 

Ledger  sheets  and  statements  should  be  arranged  alpha- 
betically by  name  of  customer;  they  are  usually  kept  in  a 
standard  (loose  leaf)  two-post  binder,  the  statement  in  front 
of  the  ledger  sheet. 

23— The  Proof  Sheet 

(See  illustration  opposite) 

This  vitally  important  record  is  written  at  the  same  time 
the  ledger  and  bill  are  written.  It  is  a  continuous,  alphabetical, 
chronological  and  permanent  record  of  all  postings  made  by  the 
day  or  run.  The  proof  sheet  furnishes  a  complete  daily  record 
of  sales,  of  cash  payments,  and  of  merchandise  returns.  Iden- 
tification of  individual  accounts  is  secured  by  writing  the  name 
of  the  customer  on  the  margin  of  the  ledger  sheet,  which  car- 
bonizes through  on  the  proof  sheet,  instantly  showing  up  any 
posting  to  the  wrong  account  and  providing  a  convenient  way 
of  checking  items  posted  in  case  of  errors.  The  proof  sheet  can 
be  made  a  Daily  Sales  Journal,  a  subsidiary  Cash  Book,  Mer- 
chandise Returns  Journal,  or  an  Auditor's  Proof  Sheet.  This 
provides  effective  control  over  all  entries  to  the  ledger. 

Experience  has  shown  that  without  the  proof  sheet,  the 
bookkeeper  at  the  end  of  the  month,  with  a  machine  posted 
ledger  out  of  balance,  is  in  identically  the  same  position  as 
if  the  ledger  had  been  posted  by  hand — and  must  do  just  what 
the  hand  bookkeeper  does,  check  through  the  ledger.  With 
the  proof  sheet  any  error  which  may  show  up  at  the  end  of  the 
month  can  be  quickly  located  and  corrected.  (See  also  Sec- 
tions 86,  95,  97,  98,  106,  107,  108,  109,  110,  and  pages  34, 
95, 103,  104  and  105.) 

24 — Combining  Bill  or  Statement  and  Ledger 

The  modern  method  of  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery  in  retail 

business  is  to  combine  the  monthly  bill  or  statement  with  the 

ledger  of  The  Bookkeeping  Machine  at  one  operation,  making 

^■t       the  ledger  an  exact  duplicate  of  the  bill.    The  bills  are  always 


36  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

ready  for  the  mail  and  can  go  out  promptly  at  the  first  of  the 
month.  The  form  rulings  of  the  bills  match  exactly  with  the 
rulings  of  the  Ledger  Sheet  and  it  is  an  easy  matter  to  collate 
them  (register  one  with  the  other)  on  the  flat  platen  of  Elliott- 
Fisher  and  write  both  at  one  time.     (See  Section  85.) 

25— Ledger  Without  Statement 

Posting  the  ledger  and  statement  at  one  operation  as  de- 
scribed in  the  preceding  paragraph  is  the  only  efficient  method 
of  bookkeeping  by  machinery  where  statements  are  required. 

There  are,  however,  a  few  lines  of  business  in  which  state- 
ments are  not  rendered  except  for  items  which  are  past  due. 
In  such  cases  the  statement  can  not  always  be  combined  with 
the  posting  of  the  ledger. 

Ledger  posting  upon  Elliott-Fisher  without  statement  re- 
tains all  the  distinct  advantages  of  daily  balance,  proof  of 
posting,  control,  etc.  (See  Section  1.)  The  value  of  the  proof 
sheet  on  this  class  of  work  is  just  as  important. 

Ledger  posting  without  the  proof  sheet  is  not  bookkeeping 
by  machinery  because  at  the  end  of  the  month  the  bookkeeper 
with  a  machine  posted  ledger  without  a  proof  sheet  is  no 
better  off  than  the  bookkeeper  who  has  kept  his  books  by 
hand. 

The  Proof  Sheet  is  the  indispensable  factor  in  Bookkeeping 
by  Machinery.    (See  Section  23.) 

26 — Daily  Balance  of  Accounts 

Under  the  old  hand  method  of  bookkeeping  the  debits 
and  credits  of  each  account  have  to  be  added  up  separately 
at  the  end  of  the  month,  the  total  credits  subtracted  from  the 
total  debits  and  the  balance  extended  in  the  balance  column. 
This  means  a  great  deal  of  extra  work  for  the  bookkeeper  at 
the  end  of  the  month.  He  has  to  check  back  and  hunt  for 
mistakes  in  order  to  balance  the  accounts  and  get  the  correct 
"trial"  balance. 

Bookkeeping  by  Machinery  with  Elliott-Fisher  balances 
each  account  as  it  is  affected  by  posting,  thus  creating  a  daily 
balance  on  all  accounts  and  providing  a  continuous  balance 
of  the  work. 


Elliott- Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine  37 

PROOF  OF  BRINGING  DOWN  THE  OLD  BALANCE 

27 — (a)  Pre-determined  Adding  Machine  Total 

Mechanical  things  cannot  be  made  to  see.  It  is  obvious, 
therefore,  that  some  proof  is  necessary  to  show  that  the  opera- 
tor has  brought  down  the  Old  Balance  correctly. 

Positive  mechanical  proof  is  secured  when  The  Book- 
keeping Machine  operator  or  some  other  clerk  takes  off  a 
pre-determined  adding  machine  total  of  Old  Balances  which 
are  to  be  affected  by  posting,  as  are  indicated  by  the  "stuffed" 
tickets.  (See  Section  19.)  After  the  operator  has  completed 
the  posting,  the  Old  Balance  Column  register  will  show  a  total 
which  will  agree  with  the  pre-determined  adding  machine 
total  of  the  Old  Balances,  provided  no  mistake  has  been  made. 

It  will  not  agree  if  any  error  has  been  made  in  bringing 
down  the  Old  Balance.  This  operation  of  proving  that  the 
Old  Balance  has  been  brought  down  correctly  is  done  with  a 
listing  machine  at  a  separate  operation  and  usually  by  another 
clerk.  It  is  positive  proof  of  accuracy  when  the  work  has 
been  done  correctly.  When  a  mistake  shows  up  it  is  an  easy 
matter  to  take  the  list  of  figures  and  check  against  the  Old 
Balance  column  figures  on  the  proof  sheet  and  quickly  locate 

»the  error.  Securing  the  pre-determined  list  of  Old  Balances 
will  not  consume  more  than  from  ten  to  fifteen  minutes  of 
time  daily  for  each  operator. 

The  majority  of  business  institutions  furnish  The  Book- 
keeping Machine  operator  with  a  pre-determined  adding  ma- 
chine total  of  Debits  or  Credits  to  be  posted  in  order  that 
the  operator  will  have  some  definite  figure  to  prove  against. 
A  pre-determined  total  of  Debits  and  Credits  to  be  posted  is 
a  positive  method  of  proving  that  the  operator  posts  all  the 
Debits  and  Credits  to  the  Ledger.  A  pre-determined  total  of 
the  Old  Balances  of  accounts  to  be  affected  will  furnish 
identically  the  same  kind  of  proof  that  the  operator  brings 
down  all  of  the  Old  Balances  correctly. 

(b)  Extra  Column  Register 

An  extra  column  register  provides  a  mechanical  method 
of  checking  bringing  down  the  Old  Balance, 


38  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

An  extra  column  register  is  placed  to  the  right  of  the  Balance 
column.  The  Old  Balance  is  printed  the  second  time  on  the 
Proof  Sheet  and  again  accumulates  the  total  of  Old  Balances 
for  the  day  or  run.  In  case  an  error  is  made  when  the  Old 
Balance  is  brought  down  and  printed  in  the  Old  Balance 
column  the  first  time,  it  is  assumed  that  the  same  error  will 
not  be  made  when  printing  the  Old  Balance  the  second  time 
on  the  Proof  Sheet.  The  two  Old  Balance  registers  must 
agree  at  all  times;  if  they  agree  at  the  end  of  the  run  it  is 
assumed  that  all  the  Old  Balances  were  brought  down  cor- 
rectly; if  they  do  not  agree,  the  Proof  Sheet  furnishes  a  con- 
venient means  for  locating  the  error. 

This  mechanical  method  of  checking  the  Old  Balance  is 
a  trifle  faster  than  securing  the  pre-determined  adding  machine 
total  of  Old  Balances. 

The  disadvantage  of  using  this  form  of  mechanical  check 
against  bringing  down  the  Old  Balance  incorrectly,  is  that  in 
ordinary  operation  as  soon  as  we  have  written  the  New  Balance 
in  the  Balance  Column,  we  follow  immediately  with  the  name 
of  the  customer,  which  is  written  on  the  margin  of  the  ledger 
sheet  and  proof  sheet  as  explained  in  Section  86.  When  this 
is  done  there  isn't  always  enough  room  to  place  the  extra 
column  register  to  the  right.  This  method  of  checking  that 
the  Old  Balance  has  been  brought  down  correctly  is  also 
bad  where  there  is  any  distribution  to  be  made  immediately 
to  the  right  of  the  Balance  column,  whether  on  the  ledger 
sheet  or  on  the  proof  sheet  only.  This  plan  of  having  two 
registers  and  writing  the  Old  Balance  twice  where  the  nature 
of  the  work  and  width  of  forms  are  such  that  it  can  be  employed 
is  fairly  satisfactory,  but  it  cannot  be  used  in  other  cases  where 
there  isn't  sufficient  width  of  forms  or  when  such  a  register 
would  interfere  with  handling  of  other  figures  immediately 
to  the  right  of  balance  column.  When  using  this  form  of 
mechanical  check  the  operator  must  always  pick  up  the  Old 
Balance  from  the  Balance  column — never  from  the  Old 
Balance  column. 

Under  no  condition  or  circumstance  should  the  operator 
attempt  to  check  bringing  the  old  balance  down  correctly, 
visually  or  mentally,  as  there  can  be  no  definite  proof  or  check 
either  way  and  annoying  errors  may  result. 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine         39 

28--Posting  Debits  and  Credits  at  Separate  Runs 

We  have  indicated  a  register  for  the  Debit  column  and  a 
register  for  the  Credit  column,  but  the  Merchandise  Debits, 
Merchandise  Credits,  and  Cash  Credits  are  ordinarily  posted 
at  separate  runs. 

29— Caution 

When  posting  Debits  at  a  separate  operation  remove  the 
tab  stop  placed  on  the  tabulator  bar  over  Credits  column — this 
will  prevent  posting  a  Debit  in  the  Credit  column. 

When  posting  Credits  at  a  separate  operation  remove  the 
tab  stop  placed  on  the  tabulator  bar  over  the  Debit  colunm — 
this  will  prevent  posting  a  Credit  in  the  Debit  column. 

Separate  register  total  of  debits  and  separate  register  total 
of  credits  must  be  proven  with  debit  and  credit  control  totals 
before  any  further  work  is  done. 

30— Posting  Debits  and  Credits  at  One  Run 

Some  firms  post  debits  and  credits  at  one  run,  but  debits 
at  one  run  and  credits  at  another  run  is  the  usual  practice. 


40 


Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 


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Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine         43 

Chapter  IV 

CONTROL 

31 — Control  is  the  directing  influence  which  governs,  regulates 
or  manages. 

It  is  the  hand  on  the  throttle  of  the  mighty  locomotive  that 
sets  into  action  and  regulates  the  power  that  pulls  the  modern 
railway  train  a  mile  a  minute  across  the  country,  or  slows  it 
down  to  a  snail's  pace  in  the  station  and  stops  the  tons  of  iron 
and  steel  exactly  at  the  desired  place. 

Take  away  the  control  while  the  massive  engine  rests  in  the 
roundhouse  and  it  would  remain  there  forever.  Take  away  the 
control  while  the  monster  machine  is  speeding  along  at  sixty 
miles  an  hour  and  it  would  rush  on  destroying  everything  in 
its  path  until  it  accomplished  its  own  destruction. 

Mechanical  things  and  human  beings  must  be  properly 
controlled  to  secure  satisfactory  results.  There  are  some 
mechanical  things  so  well  constructed  that  but  little  control 
is  necessary,  while  others  require  constant  supervision.  It  is 
the  same  way  with  the  human  element.  Some  employees  are 
so  well  balanced  that  they  need  but  little  direction  or  control ; 
they  are  able  to  manage  themselves.  There  are  others  who  can 
accomplish  little  or  nothing  without  proper  guidance  or  control. 

Control  is  the  vital  thing,  the  master  key  of  successful 
organizations.  Without  proper  control  there  can  be  no  effi- 
cient results.  The  Bookkeeping  Machine  under  proper  con- 
trol produces  wonderful  results.  When  operated  haphazardly 
it  produces  unsatisfactory  results. 

The  Bookkeeping  Machine  may  be  properly  operated,  may 
do  all  it  can  reasonably  be  expected  to  do,  and  yet  the  account- 
ing control  may  be  inefficient.  Sometimes  The  Bookkeeping 
Machine  is  blamed  for  poor  results  because  the  general  control 
is  bad. 

32— Detail  of  Control 

For  those  who  are  not  thoroughly  familiar  with  accounting 
control,  we  outline  herewith  as  an  example  the  methods  of  a 
retail  or  department  store. 


44  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

When  the  sales  clerk  makes  a  sale,  whether  cash,  C.  O.  D., 
or  charge,  a  sales  slip  or  ticket  is  made  out,  usually  in  tripli- 
cate. This  sales  slip  itemizes  the  sale.  One  copy  is  usually  a 
tissue  and  remains  in  the  sales  clerk's  book;  two  copies  are 
sent  up  "the  tube,"  or  over  the  "cash  carrier"  or  by  "cash 
boy"  to  the  cashier.  If  it  is  a  cash  sale,  one  slip  is  kept  by  the 
Cashier,  the  other  is  stamped  "Paid"  and  returned  to  the 
sales  clerk  to  be  handed  to  the  customer  with  the  goods.  If  it 
is  a  charge  sale,  one  copy  is  stamped  "O.  K."  and  returned  by 
the  credit  office  to  the  sales  clerk  when  the  goods  are  to  be 
carried  away  by  the  customer.  If  the  goods  are  to  be  delivered, 
then  the  duplicate  slip  goes  with  the  goods  to  the  delivery 
department,  a  copy  being  kept  by  the  cashier  if  it  is  a  cash  sale, 
or  kept  at  the  approving  desk  if  it  is  a  C.  O.  D.  sale.  If  a 
charge  sale,  the  copy  goes  to  the  bookkeeping  department 
direct  or  through  the  auditing  department. 

At  the  time  the  sales  clerk  makes  out  the  sales  slip,  the  total 
amount  of  the  sale  is  recorded  by  the  sales  clerk  on  the  index 
in  the  back  of  the  sales  book.  At  the  end  of  the  day  the  sales 
clerk  totals  her  sales  for  the  day,  thus  ascertaining  the  cash, 
charge  and  C.  O.  D.  sales.  These  index  totals  are  taken  by  a 
clerk  from  the  audit  office,  or  sometimes  the  sales  books  are 
exchanged  with  the  sales  clerk  at  the  end  of  each  day,  and  a 
clerk  in  the  audit  office  totals  the  index  of  all  sales  books.  By 
adding  all  the  sales  book  index  totals  of  a  department,  the 
total  sales  for  that  particular  department  is  ascertained.  By 
adding  all  department  totals,  the  total  sales  for  the  whole 
store  is  ascertained,  provided  that  the  sales  clerks  put  down  all 
their  totals  on  the  indexes  correctly  and  all  additions  have  been 
accurately  made. 

When  the  cashiers  and  the  approval  desk  clerks  turn  in  all 
the  duplicate  sales  slips  for  the  day,  if  no  mistakes  have  been 
made  and  no  slips  have  been  lost,  the  total  must  equal  the 
store  total  of  sales  book  indexes.  Then  all  the  day's  sales  have 
been  audited  by  departments,  sales  have  been  accounted  for 
and  the  cashier  has  turned  over  as  much  cash  as  all  the  cash 
slips  call  for.  All  sales  slips  are  numbered  and  must  be  accounted 
for.  Thus  control  over  the  figures  of  the  whole  sales  force  and  the 
cashier's  receipts  has  been  secured. 

It  seldom  happens  that  the  audit  can  be  balanced  by  store 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine         45 

totals  if  there  are  many  sales  slips  handled.  Salespeople  make 
mistakes,  forget  to  write  down  on  the  index  the  amount  of  some 
sale,  or  write  down  the  wrong  amount,  and  sales  slips  are  often- 
times lost  or  misplaced.  Then  the  duplicate  sales  slips  are 
sorted  by  departments  and  checked  against  each  department's 
total  of  sales  book  indexes.  The  departments  that  are  out  of 
balance  are  thus  ascertained  and  then  sales  slips  are  further 
sorted  by  clerks  and  totaled.  That  total  is  checked  against  the 
index  totals  until  the  sales  books  are  found  which  are  out  of 
balance.  Then  the  sales  slips  belonging  to  a  certain  book  are 
checked  one  by  one  against  the  index  of  that  book  until  the 
mistake  or  missing  slip  is  located. 

All  departments  having  thus  been  audited  the  charge  slips 
are  ready  to  send  to  the  Bookkeeping  and  Billing  Department. 
In  this  way,  the  total  amount  of  all  the  charge  tickets  for  the 
day  is  known  and  controlled. 

The  Auditing  Department  sorts  the  tickets  by  ledger 
divisions  and  secures  ledger  division  control  totals,  or  after  the 
charge  slips  reach  the  Billing  and  Bookkeeping  Department 
they  are  sorted  into  ledger  divisions.  After  they  are  so  sorted 
the  total  of  tickets  in  each  ledger  division  is  ascertained. 
If  the  grand  total  of  all  these  ledger  division  totals  of  sales 
tickets  equals  the  pre-determined  total  of  the  charge  sales 
tickets  for  the  day,  then  all  the  charge  tickets  have  been 
distributed  to  the  ledgers.  The  total  of  charges  which  must 
be  posted  and  billed  to  each  ledger  has  been  ascertained.  This 
gives  the  total  of  charges  that  are  to  be  posted  to  each  ledger 
division.  In  a  similar  manner  is  found  the  total  of  merchandise 
returns  or  credits,  cash  credits  (journal  entries  or  transfers) 
to  be  posted  to  the  different  ledger  divisions. 

33— Master  Control 

The  Master  Control  Sheet  on  page  46  illustrates  the  method 
of  recording  the  grand  totals  of  each  day's  work,  against  which 
all  letter  controls  must  prove. 

If  there  is  any  need  of  registers  to  total  what  the  Book- 
keeping Machine  posts,  if  there  is  any  need  of  proof  sheets  for 
checking  or  other  record  purposes,  there  is  just  as  much  need 
for  this  or  some  similar  form  of  recording  the  figures  for 
control  purposes. 


46 


Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 


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With  the  right  kind  of  control  satisfactory  results  can  be 
secured  under  ordinary  conditions. 

The  Bookkeeping  Machine  operator  must  balance  each 
day's  work  with  the  Control  Clerk's  figures  before  proceeding 
with  other  work.  Today's  work  is  done  today  so  as  to  be 
prepared  for  tomorrow's  work  when  tomorrow  comes;  then 
books  are  always  in  balance;  then  there  are  no  mistakes  to 
hunt  for  at  the  end  of  the  month. 


34— Letter  Control 

For  illustration :  Suppose  an  ordinary  Accounts  Receivable 
Department  of  a  department  or  retail  store.  Let  us  assume 
that  there  are  26  ledger  sections;  one  ledger  section  for  each 
letter  of  the  alphabet  and  each  ledger  section  in  turn  sub- 
divided into  6  binders.    Then  there  is  a  total  of  156  binders 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine 


47 


Ledger    - 

Section 

Control 

2. 
3. 
4. 

5. 

Binder  Control 
Binder  Control 
Binder  Control 
Binder  Control 
Etc. 

Ledger 
Section 
Control 

Accounts 
Receivable 
Ledger 
Control 


C  Ledger 
Section 
Control 

D     Etc. 

Outline  of  Accounts  Receivable  Ledger  Control  by  Sections  and  Binder 

Divisions  which  can  be  varied  to  suit  the  number 

of  accounts  to  be  cared  for 

and  26  ledger  sections  of  the  Accounts  Receivable  ledger.  For 
simplicity  of  description,  assume  that  there  are  26  Billing- 
Bookkeeping  Machine  operators,  one  for  each  letter  in  the 
alphabet,  which  makes  one  for  each  ledger  section. 

Suppose  all  the  operators  are  at  their  machines,  with  their 
six  binders  each  in  a  convenient  place  and  all  their  books 
balanced  up-to-date.  Suppose  a  messenger  comes  along  and 
lays  a  package  of  charge  tickets  representing  yesterday's 
sales  on  each  operator's  desk.  These  charge  tickets  are  to  be 
posted  to  the  different  ledger  sections ;  they  have  already  been 
arranged  alphabetically  for  each  bookkeeper  and  her  particular 
section  of  the  ledger. 

If  these  charge  tickets  have  already  been  totaled,  then 
some  one  has  what  is  known  as  a  pre-determined  total  of 
the  amount  of  each  bundle  of  charge  tickets.  Before  the 
bookkeeper  starts  to  post  the  tickets  it  is  definitely  known 
how  much  she  is  to  post — that  is  a  pre-determined  total. 

Suppose  the  method  of  auditing  is  such  that  the  tickets 
have  not  been  totaled,  then,  of  course,  no  one  knows  the 


48  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

amount  of  charge  tickets  in  each  bundle.  The  store  routine 
may  be  such  that  immediately  after  the  bookkeeper  is  through 
posting  these  tickets,  another  set  of  clerks  will  take  the  same 
tickets  and  get  a  total  of  the  tickets  at  a  separate  and  distinct 
operation — that  is  an  after-determined  total. 

Possibly  in  some  other  institution  there  may  be  no  pro- 
vision made  for  a  total  of  the  bundle  of  charge  tickets  laid 
on  each  operator's  desk  either  before  or  after  posting.  In 
such  case,  the  operator,  or  an  assistant  in  the  Bookkeeping 
Department,  would  list  the  tickets  on  an  adding  machine  in 
order  to  secure  a  total  of  the  bundle  of  charge  tickets  referred 
to.  This  before  or  after-determined  total  of  the  bundle  of 
charge  tickets,  whether  it  is  secured  by  some  one  in  the  Book- 
keeping Department  or  some  one  outside,  is  the  controlling 
figure  against  which  the  Bookkeeping  Machine  operator  works 
and  it  doesn't  make  any  difference  whether  the  total  is  pre- 
determined or  after-determined.  The  Bookkeeping  Machine 
will  check  the  figures  made  before  or  after  equally  well.  It 
is  generally  customary  and  considered  the  better  practice  that 
the  total  be  taken  before  posting — that  is  why  it  is  referred 
to  as  a  pre-determined  total. 

35— Binder  Control 

Now  assume  that  the  bundle  of  charge  tickets  placed  on  the 
"A"  bookkeeper's  desk  contains  items  amounting  to  $3,090.27. 
The  "A"  bookkeeper  proceeds  to  post  these  charge  tickets, 
and  when  she  gets  through,  the  register  over  the  charge  or 
debit  column  shows  that  she  has  posted  $3,090.27,  if  she  has 
done  her  work  correctly.  This  checks  with  her  pre-determined 
total. 

But  the  bookkeeper  doesn't  always  balance  to  the  cent. 
Sometimes  she  misses  a  ticket;  sometimes  she  misses  an  item 
on  a  ticket;  sometimes  the  Auditing  Department  which  fur- 
nishes the  pre-determined  or  after-determined  total  makes  a 
mistake,  and  then  the  search  for  the  mistake  begins.  Sometimes 
on  account  of  inefficient  methods  of  control,  it  takes  longer  to 
find  the  mistakes  in  the  control  than  it  does  to  find  the  mistakes 
in  posting. 

Returning  to  the  bundle  of  charge  tickets  amounting  to 
$3,090.27,  it  must  be  remembered  that  these  tickets  are  to 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine         49 

be  posted  into  six  different  binders  of  the  "A"  ledger  section. 
The  operator  might  post  five  of  the  six  binders  correctly,  but 
make  a  mistake  in  the  sixth.  In  order  to  segregate  mistakes 
and  shorten  the  hunt  for  them,  the  Bookkeeping  Machine 
operator  or  some  one  else  usually  takes  off  an  adding  machine 
total  of  the  tickets  that  are  to  be  posted  into  each  binder. 

Suppose  that  $691.34  worth  of  tickets  out  of  the  $3,090.27 
bundle  are  to  be  posted  to  the  second  binder  of  the  "A"  ledger 
section.  The  operator  makes  the  necessary  posting  and  does 
the  work  correctly,  then  she  takes  an  ordinary  ledger  sheet  for 
her  control  sheet  and  starts  off  with  a  balance  of  $13,763.20. 
(See  illustration  of  binder  control  sheet  in  Section  36.)  She 
brings  forward  the  old  balance  as  in  ordinary  posting,  inserts 
the  date,  January  2d;  the  item  is  Merchandise  Sales;  she 
records  the  amount,  $691,34,  in  the  debit  column;  the  machine 
computes  and  gives  her  the  new  balance  of  $14,454.54,  which 
she  records  in  the  balance  column. 

Having  performed  this  operation  with  reference  to  each  sec- 
tion of  her  "A"  ledger,  she  then  has  six  totals,  the  $691.34 
referred  to  and  illustrated  herewith,  and  the  totals  of  the  five 
other  binders.  She  adds  them  all  together  and  then  makes  a 
summary  control  sheet  for  the  whole  six  binders.  On  the  sum- 
mary control  sheet  will  appear  Merchandise  Sales  $3,090.27 
for  January  2d. 

Later  on  should  any  possible  question  come  up  about  what 
the  operator  did  on  January  2d,  she  refers  to  these  control 

36 — (a)  Control  for  Second  Binder  of  "A"  Ledger  Section 

Old  Bal.  Date  Detail  Dr.  Cr.      Balance 

Jan.  1,  1918    Balance  Forward  13,763.20 

13,763.20    Jan.  2,  1918    Mdse.  Sales  691.34  14,454.54 

14,454.54     Jan.  2,  1918    Mdse.  Returned  87.10    14,367.44 

14,367.44     Jan.  2,  1918    Cash  502.25    13,865.19 

13,865.19    Jan.  2,  1918    J.  T.  1953, 

to  C.  R.  Aiken  (A) 

from  C.  R.  Hiken  (H)    2.98  13,868.17 

13,868.17     Jan.  2,  1918    C.  O.  D.  Rel.  2784, 

to  S.  M.  Adams 

145  Sheridan  Ave.         10.00  13,878.17 

pages  in  each  binder  and  to  the  summary  control  sheet  of  all 
binders  in  her  ledger,  to  verify  or  prove  her  work  against  the 
work  of  some  other  department  or  the  general  ledger. 


50  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

Perhaps  the  $691.34  posted  in  the  second  section  of  the 
"A"  ledger  may  be  questioned.  Then  the  Bookkeeping  Machine 
operator  gets  out  her  proof  sheets  for  January  2d,  "A"  ledger, 
second  binder,  which  provides  the  detail  that  made  up  the 
$691.34  and  proves  that  her  figures  are  correct  or  otherwise. 

Thus  we  see  that  the  proof  sheet  furnishes  the  minute 
detailed  information  of  exactly  what  made  up  the  total  of 
$691.34.  The  control  sheets  of  the  different  ledger  binders 
furnish  information  as  to  what  made  up  the  grand  total  of 
$3,090.27  on  the  summary  control  sheet  for  the  "A"  ledger 
section. 

In  a  similar  way,  bundles  of  merchandise  credits  or  return 
tickets  would  be  handled,  except  that  they  are  posted  in  the 

nj\  Letter  Control  for 

^  All  Binders  in  "A"  Ledger  Section 

Old  Bal.  Date  Detail  Dr.  Cr.       Balance 

Tan.  1,  1918    Balance  Forward  48,252.17 

48,252.17     Jan.  2,  1918    Mdse.  Sales  3,090.27 

Mdse.  Returned  872.65 

Cash  2,357.86    48,111.93 

This  Summary  or  Total  of  all  Binder  Controls  in  the  "A  "  Section  shows 
the  figures  which  the  ''A"  Bookkeeper  furnishes  to  the  Control  Clerk 

credit  column;    likewise  cash  payments  or  credits.    The  en 
tries  should  be  made  on  the  control  sheet,  as  shown  in  the 
illustrations  on  pages  49  and  50.     The  handling  of  merchan- 
dise sales,  merchandise  credits  and  cash  credits  on  the  control 
sheet  is  correspondingly  simple. 

37 — Journal  Transfers 

Note  that  the  fourth  item  on  January  2d  is  J.T.  (Journal 
Transfer)  1953  to  C.  R.  Aiken  of  the  "A"  ledger,  from  C.  R. 
Hiken  of  the  "H"  ledger,  $2.98.  This  is  Journal  Transfer 
No.  1953.  Note  how  this  journal  transfer  is  made  up  and  then 
separated  so  that  the  debit  and  credit  can  be  entered  in  their 
proper  places.  In  this  particular  case,  the  debit  goes  to  the 
"A"  ledger  and  the  credit  to  the  "  H  "  ledger.  When  the  Audit- 
ing Department  assorted  the  bundles  of  tickets  previously 
referred  to,  they  misread  a  $2.98  charge  ticket  belonging  to 
C.  R.  Aiken,  17  Spring  street,  as  C.  R.  Hiken,  17  Spring  street. 
In  consequence,  this  $2.98  ticket  was  sent  to  the  "H"  book- 
keeper instead  of  the  "A"  bookkeeper,  and  the  pre-determined 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine 


51 


total  of  the  items  for  the  "H"  bookkeeper  is  $2.98  too  much, 
while  the  pre-determined  total  of  the  charge  tickets  for  the 
"A"  bookkeeper  is  $2.98  short.  When  the  bookkeepers  start 
to  post  or  "stuff"  the  ledger,  the  "H"  bookkeeper  discovers 
that  there  is  no  such  name  as  C.  R.  Hiken  in  her  ledger.  She 
investigates  and  finds  that  the  ticket  rightfully  belongs  over 
in  the  "A"  ledger — so  she  transfers  it  with  Journal  Transfer 


OESI 

r 

V-Zl-^l-Vt-4^A/^^                                 0*T*                     ^/iX^/l^ 

■ 

CI 

a  7p  r..j.^ 

CRCOIT 

a.  12  -7^x„. 

»  K 

>.  K. 
-IT 

ff 

or 

UL 

/7    --^e^.t,.U-o  ^. 

DATE         1 

NO. 

.y...       V 

AMOUNT             1 

if/6 

A.¥JL 

/  .d^/L^Ji 

^ 

ff 

1953 

1         1             ld53 

"■     Y                       1953                   1 

No.  1953,  which  was  made  out  as  indicated  by  the  illustration. 
She  keeps  the  credit  portion  and  sends  the  debit  portion  to 
the  "A"  ledger  bookkeeper.  Of  course,  if  the  "H"  book- 
keeper credits  her  books  with  the  $2.98  she  reduces  her  total 
of  merchandise  sales  that  much;  if  the  "A"  bookkeeper 
adds  $2.98  to  that  which  the  Sorting  Desk  has  supplied 
her,  then  she  has  debited  and  increased  her  amount  by  so 
much.  The  debit  portion  of  this  journal  transfer  is  shown 
recorded  on  the  sample  binder  control  sheet  (see  Section  36a). 
The  other,  or  credit  side  of  the  entry,  would  appear  on  the 
control  sheet  of  the  "H"  ledger,  which  is  not  illustrated. 

When  the  "H"  bookkeeper  makes  out  Journal  Transfer 
No.  1953,  she  attaches  the  $2.98  charge  ticket  to  the  debit 
portion  when  she  sends  it  over  to  the  "A"  bookkeeper.  As  soon 
as  the  "A"  bookkeeper  posts  the  journal  debit  of  $2.98  to  her 
control  sheet,  she  O.  K.'s  the  journal  transfer  to  show  that  she 
has  made  the  journal  posting  to  her  control  sheet.   Then  she 


52  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

sends  the  journal  transfer  on  to  the  general  control  of  all  sec- 
tions, or  perhaps  back  to  the  Sorting  Desk,  or  to  the  General 
Ledger,  depending  on  how  the  store  routine  operates.  When 
the  "  H  "  bookkeeper  posts  her  credit  portion  of  Journal  Trans- 
fer No.  1953,  she  O.  K.'S  and  sends  it  through  in  a  similar  way. 
Triplicate  copy  of  the  above  is  left  in  the  book  for  checking 
purposes  in  case  of  necessity. 

38— C.  O.  D.  Control 

Sometimes  goods  are  sent  out  C.  O.  D.  but  are  released  and 
charged  to  the  customer.  The  C.  O.  D.  Department  of  the 
store  is  charged  with  the  C.  O.  D.'s  they  have  sent  out,  and 
if  a  C.  O.  D.  is  released,  the  C.  O.  D.  Department  has  to  have 
something  to  release  them  from  the  obligation  because  of 
the  change  from  C.  O.  D.  to  charge  account.  This  is  known  as 
a  C.  O.  D.  release  which  credits  the  C.  O.  D.  Department  and 
charges  the  Bookkeeping  Department.  The  result  is  an  entry 
like  the  last  one  shown  on  the  control  (see  Section  36a). 

If  these  were  the  only  transactions  in  the  second  binder  of 
the  ledger,  the  $691.34  pre-determined  total  of  charge  tickets 
for  the  "A"  ledger  in  the  Auditing  or  General  Bookkeeping 
Department  would  be  increased  by  $2.98  journal  transfer,  and 
a  $10.00  C.  O.  D.  release.  The  control  sheet  in  each  binder 
provides  a  record  of  what  went  into  the  ledger  or  what  was 
taken  out  of  it.  In  other  words,  it  states  plainly  why  the 
balance  of  Accounts  Receivable  in  the  second  binder  of  the  "A" 
ledger  changed  from  $13,763.20  on  the  first  day  of  the  month  to 
$13,878.17  the  end  of  the  second  day  of  January,  1918.  Should 
there  ever  be  any  question  as  to  the  sefigures,  then  the  record 
(proof  sheet)  can  easily  be  referred  to  for  explanation. 

On  the  other  hand,  suppose  no  proof  sheet  had  been  made 
of  the  entry;  or  no  control  sheet  had  been  made  of  the  totals 
of  the  proof  sheet;  or  no  journal  transfers  had  been  made, 
but  otherwise  all  of  the  work  had  been  done  exactly  as  de- 
scribed above,  how  could  the  bookkeeper  go  back  and  prove 
anything  except  by  checking  over  the  whole  month's  work? 

Control  is  the  vital  thing,  and  with  the  right  kind  of  control 
there  are  satisfactory  results  under  ordinary  conditions.  With- 
out control,  there  is  nothing  but  haphazard  results  and  un- 
certainty. 


Elliott- Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine         55 

Chapter  V 
THE  MACHINE  AND  ITS  OPERATION 
39 — Individual  Registers 

Having  covered  the  general  principles  of  accounting  control, 
and  the  preparation  of  the  ledger  and  posting  medium,  we 
now  consider  the  specific  application  and  operation  of  the 
machine  itself. 

Adding  registers  placed  over  certain  columns  furnish  me- 
chanical proof  of  the  operator's  work.  The  proof  sheet 
furnishes  written  and  permanent  evidence  of  the  correctness 
of  all  posting. 

For  the  relative  location  of  these  adding  registers  and  de- 
scription of  the  figures  printed  in  these  columns,  see  illustration 
of  the  machine  (Page  54),  colored  illustration  of  ledger  sheet 
(Page  116)  and  Sections  40-46. 

40— Old  Balance  Register 

A  standard  size  T7D  Register  with  7  adding  wheels  and  a 
capacity  of  99999  99  is  used  over  the  "Old  Balance"  column, 
to  automatically  accumulate  the  total  of  old  balances  of 
accounts  affected  by  posting  as  they  are  printed  simultaneously 
in  this  column  on  the  bill  or  statement,  ledger  and  proof 
sheet  for  the  day  or  run.  At  the  end  of  the  day  or  run  of  work 
this  register  shows  the  total  of  all  Old  Balances  of  accounts 
which  have  been  affected  by  posting.  The  amount  shown  in 
this  register  is  printed  as  a  sub-total  on  each  proof  sheet 
under  the  Old  Balance  column.  The  total  as  shown  on  the 
proof  sheet  at  the  end  of  the  run  of  work  is  proved  against 
the  predetermined  total  of  Old  Balances. 

41 — Items  Register 

A  standard  size  T5D  Register  with  5  adding  wheels  and 
a  capacity  of  999  99  is  used  over  the  "Items"  column  to  ac- 
cumulate the  total  of  items  copied  from  the  sales  ticket 
(or  tickets  if  there  be  more  than  one  posted  to  one  account) 
as  they  are  posted  to  the  bill  or  statement  and  ledger.  After 
printing  the  items  see  that  the  total  in  the  "Items"  register 


56  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

agrees  with  the  total  of  the  sales  ticket  (or  several  tickets 
as  the  case  may  be)  before  extending  it  in  the  Debit  or  charge 
column.  If  these  two  totals  do  not  agree  then  either  some 
item  has  been  copied  incorrectly  or  the  ticket  was  wrongly 
added.  If  these  two  sets  of  figures  agree,  then  print  the  total 
shown  in  the  Items  Register  in  the  Debit  Column.  Check 
the  printed  figures  with  the  same  figures  in  the  Items  Register, 
and  if  they  agree,  clear  the  Items  Register.  The  Items 
Register  is  used  only  for  the  purpose  of  proving  the  correct 
addition  on  one  or  more  tickets  posted  to  the  same  account. 

If  there  is  only  one  item  on  one  ticket  to  be  posted  to  an 
account,  disregard  the  "Items"  column  and  post  the  item 
directly  in  the  Debit  column. 

The  Items  register  must  always  be  cleared  before  posting 
to  the  next  account.  This  is  the  only  register  cleared  after 
every  entry,  all  other  registers  accumulate  the  postings  to 
furnish  run  or  day  totals. 

42— Debit  Register 

A  standard  size  T7D  Register  with  7  adding  wheels  and 
a  capacity  of  99999  99  is  used  over  the  Debit  Column  to 
accumulate  the  total  of  all  debits  to  all  accounts  as  they  are 
printed  in  this  column  on  the  bill  or  statement  and  ledger. 
This  register  is  not  cleared  until  the  debit  postings  have  all 
been  made  for  the  day  or  run. 

The  total  of  Debits  shown  in  this  register  is  printed  as  a 
sub-total  in  the  Debit  column  on  the  bottom  of  each  proof 
sheet.  The  figures  must  be  carefully  copied  out  of  the  register. 

43— Credit  Register 

A  standard  size  T7D  Register  with  7  adding  wheels  and 
a  capacity  of  99999  99  is  used  over  the  credit  column  to  ac- 
cumulate the  total  credits  for  the  day  or  run  (whether  merchan- 
dise returns  or  cash  payments).  This  register  is  not  cleared 
until  the  credit  postings  have  all  been  made  for  the  day  or  run. 

The  total  of  credits  shown  in  this  register  is  printed  as  a 
sub-total  in  the  Credit  Column  on  the  bottom  of  each  proof 
sheet.    Copy  the  figures  carefully  out  of  the  register. 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine         57 

44 — Balance  Register 

A  standard  size  T7D  register  with  7  adding  wheels  and 
a  capacity  of  99999  99  is  used  over  the  Balance  column  to 
accumulate  the  New  Balances  of  accounts  affected  by  posting 
as  they  are  printed  in  this  column  on  the  Ledger  sheet  and  bill 
or  statement  for  the  day  or  run.  At  the  end  of  the  day  or  run 
this  register  shows  an  accumulation  of  all  New  Balances  of 
accounts  affected  by  posting.  The  total  amount  shown  in  this 
register  is  printed  as  a  sub-total  on  each  proof  sheet  under 
the  New  Balance  Column.  Copy  these  figures  carefully  out 
of  the  register. 

45 — Crossfooter  Register 

A  standard  size  Crossfooter  Register  with  7  adding  wheels 
and  a  capacity  of  99999  99  is  used  to  automatically  compute 
crosswise  the  balance  of  each  entry  as  the  figures  are  written 
in  the  Old  Balance,  Debit  and  Credit  Columns.  When 
the  Balance  Column  is  reached  the  Crossfooter  register  indi- 
cates the  New  Balance  on  the  account.  When  the  amount 
shown  by  the  Crossfooter  register  is  entered  in  the  Balance 
Column  it  automatically  clears  the  Crossfooter  register. 

As  proof  that  the  Crossfooter  register  is  clear,  the  star-clear 
signal  is  printed.  This  signal  cannot  be  printed  unless  the 
Crossfooter  register  is  dear. 

46 — Principles  of  Machine  Operation 

With  the  Bookkeeping  Machine  the  balancing  of  each  cus- 
tomer's account  affected  by  posting  takes  place  automatically 
as  the  postings  are  made.  The  Bookkeeping  Machine  is  so 
constructed  that  a  series  of  adding  and  subtracting  stops, 
placed  in  proper  position  on  the  Crossfooter  controlling  bar, 
automatically  control  all  the  adding  and  subtracting  necessary 
to  compute  the  balance  on  each  account  in  the  one  operation 
of  posting  debits  and  credits.  By  following  a  few  simple  rules 
it  is  an  easy  matter  to  accomplish  this  result  without  anything 
more  than  ordinary  care. 

For  example,  in  debit  posting:  The  star  clear  signal  is 
printed  to  show  that  the  Crossfooter  register  is  clear;  then  the 
**01d   Balance"   is  printed   in   the   old   balance  column   and 


58  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

adds  in  the  old  balance  register,  which  accumulates  all  old 
balances.  At  the  same  time  this  amount  (the  old  balance) 
automatically  adds  in  the  Crossfooter  (or  computing  register) ; 
the  "  Debit"  is  posted  and  as  it  is  printed  it  adds  in  the  debit 
register,  which  accumulates  all  debits  as  they  are  posted. 
At  the  same  time  the  same  figure  (the  debit)  is  automatically 
added  in  the  Crossfooter,  which  previously  contained  the  old 
balance  figures.  The  Crossfooter  register  now  shows  the  com- 
puted or  new  balance  (Old  Balance  plus  Debit),  which  is 
printed  in  the  Balance  column.  This  figure  (the  New  Balance) 
adds  in  the  Balance  register  as  it  is  printed  and  automatically 
subtracts  from  the  Crossfooter,  which  clears  as  proof  that  the 
work  was  done  correctly.  As  written  evidence  that  the 
operator  did  this  work  correctly,  the  star  clear  signal  is  printed 
immediately  after  the  new  balance  is  written. 

In  "Credit"  posting  the  same  operation  takes  place  with 
reference  to  printing  star  clear  signal,  printing  the  "Old 
Balance"  in  the  old  balance  column  and  adding  same  in  the 
old  balance  and  Crossfooter  register.  As  the  "Credit"  is 
posted  it  adds  in  the  credit  register.  At  the  same  time  it 
subtracts  from  the  old  balance  figure  in  the  Crossfooter. 
The  result  as  shown  by  the  Crossfooter  register  (the  computed 
or  new  balance)  is  printed  in  the  balance  column  and  added 
in  the  balance  register.  At  the  same  time  it  subtracts  from  and 
clears  the  Crossfooter.  The  star  clear  signal  is  then  printed 
as  written  proof  of  correct  operation. 

In  Debit  posting,  "Old  Balance"  register  total  plus  "Debits" 
register  total  for  the  day  or  run  will  equal  the  "Balance" 
total,  if  the  work  is  correct. 

In  Credit  posting,  "Old  Balance"  register  total  less  "Credits" 
register  total  for  the  day  or  run  will  equal  the  "  Balance* '  total, 
if  the  work  is  correct. 

Debits  and  Credits  are  separately  accumulated  in  the  debit 
and  credit  registers  as  posted.  Old  and  New  Balances  are 
separately  accumulated  in  the  Old  and  New  Balance  registers 
as  entries  are  made. 

Old  Balance  Register  accumulates  all  old  balances  of 
accounts  affected  by  posting. 

Items  Register  proves  correct  additions  on  one  or  more 
sales  tickets  and  is  cleared  after  each  posting. 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine  59 

Debit  Register  accumulates  all  charges  for  the  day  or  run. 

Credit  Register  accumulates  all  credits  for  the  day  or  run. 

New  Balance  Register  accumulates  all  New  Balances  of 
accounts  affected  by  posting. 

The  "Items**  Register  is  the  only  one  cleared  after  every 
posting. 

When  mistakes  occur,  correct  them  by  writing  on  the 
proof  sheet  below  the  register  totals,  the  details  of  the  errors, 
and  how  the  correction  is  made,  so  that  the  final  figures 
balance.    (See  Errors  and  Their  Correction,  Section  108.) 

If  each  day's  work  and  each  separate  ledger  run  has  been 
done  correctly,  there  will  be  no  difficulty  of  any  kind  in  bal- 
ancing at  the  end  of  the  month. 

Make  it  a  point  never  to  pass  any  part  of  the  work  until 
you  know  that  it  is  accurate.  Don't  doubt  or  guess.  Be  sure 
that  every  entry  is  correct  and  that  the  figures  balance  at  the 
end  of  the  run. 

If  there  are  any  errors,  correct  them  as  above,  so  there  will 
be  written  evidence  on  the  proof  sheet  that  all  the  work  has 
been  done  correctly.  The  proof  sheet  is  not  only  for  con- 
venience, but  protection.  It  is  permanent  written  evidence 
of  the  character  of  the  work. 

47— Setting  Up  Tabulator  Stops  and  Registers 

Remove  tabulator  rack  and  place  it  on  the  platen  in  front 
of  machine  scale  to  set  up  tab  stops.  Tab  stops  must  be  set 
up  immediately  to  the  right  of  scale  figures  on  tabulator  bar. 
Use  line  finder  to  locate  proper  position  for  writing  units  of 
dollars  which  will  be  the  position  for  the  stop. 

Setting  line  finder  on  ruled  line  at  right  of  column  and  back 
spacing  four  times  will  give  the  correct  position  for  the  stop 
and  decimal  registers.  Decimal  registers  must  always  be  set 
up  to  the  left  of  scale  figures  on  register  bar. 

Tab  stops  and  decimal  registers  must  always  be  set  up  to 
the  same  scale  figures.  Quantity  registers  (registers  without 
decimal  point  spacing)  must  be  set  3  spaces  to  the  left  of  the 
corresponding  tab  stop.  The  placing  of  tab  stops  and  registers 
is  very  important.    (See  Page  64.) 


60 


Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 


48— Rule  for  Tabulating 

Use  the  decimal  tabulator  keys  for  all  figures  to  be  written 
and  added  in  columns.  By  depressing  the  tabulator  key  "1" 
the  machine  spaces  to  units  of  dollars  position  and  you  will 
be  able  to  write  and  add  any  figures  in  that  column.  By 
depressing  the  tabulator  key  marked  "10"  the  maichine  spaces 
to  tens  of  dollars  position  and  you  will  be  able  to  write  and 
add  any  figures  in  that  column.  By  depressing  tabulator  key 
marked  "100"  the  machine  spaces  to  hundreds  of  dollars 
position  and  you  will  be  able  to  write  and  add  any  figures  in 
that  column,  and  so  on  with  larger  amounts. 

To  tabulate  for  figures  in  fractions  of  dollars  in  decimal 
registers  press  the  decimal  tabulator  key  marked  period  (.), 
which  automatically  spaces  the  machine  to  the  tens  of  cents 
position.  You  can  then  write  any  figures  in  the  tens  of  cents 
column. 

49 — Location  of  Tabulator  Stops 

With  the  Standard  Retail  Ledger  and  Standard  rulings, 
place  the  tabulator  stops  on  tabulator  bar  to  the  right 
of  scale  figures  at  the  following  scale  points:  9-15-22-46-59- 
69-79-85.    (See  Page  64.) 

If  the  rulings  differ  from  the  Standard  Retail  form,  the 
stops  will  be  in  the  same  relative  positions. 

50 — Location  of  Registers  on  Register  Bar 

(Standard  7D  Crossfooter) 

Place  the  registers  on  the  register  Bar  to  the  left  of  scale 
figures  at  the  following  scale  points:    (See  Page  64.) 
T7D  Register  (Old  Balance  Column)  Scale  9. 
T5D  Register  (Items  Column)  Scale  46. 
T7D  Register  (Debit  Column)  Scale  59. 
T7D  Register  (Credit  Column)  Scale  69. 
T7D  Register  (New  Balance  Column)  Scale  79. 


51 — Location  of  Crossfooter  Control  Stops 

Normally,  the  Crossfooter  adds.  All  that  is  required  is 
a  standard  size  adding  stop.  The  Crossfooter  remains  neutral 
and  does  not  operate  if  there  is  no  stop  placed  over  the  column, 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine         61 

even  though  you  may  be  adding  in  a  column  register,  as  in 
the  case  of  the  Items  Register  on  the  Standard  Retail  forms. 

Subtracting  stops  automatically  reverse  the  Crossfooter 
mechanism.  They  are  used  in  widths  to  correspond  with 
the  size  of  the  column  registers. 

The  Crossfooter  control  bar  is  graduated  to  correspond 
with  the  same  scale  figures  on  register  bar,  front  scale  and 
tabulator  bar  scale.  The  numerical  reading  is  the  dollar  posi- 
tion. If  register  is  located  on  register  bar  reading  at  right 
side  9,  Crossfooter  control  stop  will  be  located  on  Crossfooter 
control  bar  reading  at  left  side  9,  tabulator  stop  located 
on  tabulator  bar  reading  at  left  side  9.  If  the  decimal  tabulator 
"r*  key  is  pressed  down,  the  pointer  on  the  front  scale  on 
carriage  frame  will  read  9,  but  the  position  will  be  "dollars" 
in  both  column  and  Crossfooter  registers,  and  the  print  from 
the  type  will  be  in  the  dollars  position  on  the  form. 

Place  Crossfooter  control  stops  to  the  right  of  scale  figures 
on  Crossfooter  Control  Bar  (beginning  with  the  last  stop  on 
the  right  and  working  toward  the  left)  at  the  following  scale 
points:   (See  Page  64.) 

Subtracting  Stop  (Balance  Column)  Scale  79. 

Subtracting  Stop  (Credit  Column)  Scale  69. 

Adding  Stop  (Debit  Column)  Scale  59. 

Adding  Stop  (Old  Balance  Column)  Scale  9. 

52 — Actuator  Control 

The  Actuator  is  the  adding  mechanism  of  the  machine 
and  is  located  directly  over  the  keyboard.  (See  Page  54.) 
The  button  (lettered  "ACT")  located  on  left-hand  side  of 
actuator  is  used  for  controlling  the  action  of  the  adding 
mechanism. 

The  moving  in  or  out  of  this  button  or  the  shifting  of  the 
ribbon  from  black  to  red  changes  the  words  in  Actuator 
Indicator  to  "Debit"  (black);  "Credit"  (red);  "Total"  or 
"Write." 

With  button  marked  "ACT"  in  its  innermost  position, 
and  the  ribbon  indicator  on  black,  the  Actuator  Indicator  will 
read  "Debit"  and  the  actuator  is  connected  for  adding  when 
in  the  zone  of  a  column  register.  With  button  marked 
"ACT"  in  innermost  position,  and  ribbon  indicator  on  red,  the 


62  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

Actuator  Indicator  will  read  "Credit"  and  the  Actuator  is 
connected  for  adding  when  in  the  zone  of  a  column  register. 
With  button  marked  "ACT"  pulled  to  its  outermost  position 
the  Actuator  Indicator  will  read  "Write."  This  means  that 
the  adding  mechanism  has  been  disconnected  and  that  the 
decimal  tripping  device,  which  is  effective  in  the  zone  of  the 
register  between  dollars  and  cents,  has  been  disengaged. 
When  button  marked  "ACT"  is  in  the  notch  midway  between 
the  outermost  and  innermost  position  the  Actuator  Indicator 
will  read  "Total."  This  means  that  the  adding  mechanism 
has  been  disconnected  but  that  the  decimal  tripping  device 
is  effective  for  automatically  spacing  between  dollars  and 
cents  while  in  the  zone  of  a  column  register. 

Totals  written  on  the  paper  are  checked  against  the  totals 
shown  by  the  registers  before  registers  are  cleared.  Make 
sure  printed  figures  are  correct  before  clearing  a  register. 

53 — Clearing  Registers 

To  clear  a  register  press  thumb  against  small  knob  located 
on  top  of  register,  close  to  clearing  lever  (see  Page  54),  move 
it  to  the  left,  which  permits  the  lever  to  be  raised.  Raise  lever 
as  far  as  it  will  go,  after  which  push  the  clearing  lever  down 
until  it  locks  in  normal  position.  When  register  is  clear  It  will 
show  all  naughts,  as  follows:  00000  00  (standard  size  T7D 
register) . 

CAUTION:  Do  not  attempt  to  clear  any  register  while 
the  master  wheel  is  engaged  with  the  register;  that  is  while 
the  machine  is  in  position  where  the  pointer  on  top  of  the 
actuator  points  into  the  register. 

54 — Crossfooter  Control 

At  the  right  side  of  the  carriage  and  directly  connected 
with  the  actuator  is  an  adding  and  subtracting  crossfooter 
register.  This  register  is  automatically  controlled  by  stops 
arranged  on  a  separate  bar,  located  between  the  register  and 
tabulator  bars  at  the  rear  of  the  carriage,  and  known  as  the 
Crossfooter  controlling  bar.  These  adding  and  subtracting 
stops  can  be  so  located  that  adding  and  subtracting  over  any 
column    is    automatically    accomplished    in    the    crossfooter. 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine         65 

Removing  an  adding  or  subtracting  stop  renders  crossfooter 
inoperative  for  that  column.  On  top  of  the  crossfooter  case 
is  an  indicator,  which  reads  "ADD"  when  crossfooter  is 
adding  and  "SUB"  when  crossfooter  is  subtracting.  After 
the  stops  have  been  placed  on  the  crossfooter  control  bar, 
tabulate  into  the  different  columns  and  make  certain  that  the 
right  stops  have  been  used  and  correctly  located — as  shown 
by  the  "ADD"  and  "SUB"  indicator  and  the  crossfooter 
pointer  (position  indicator) — (see  Page  54). 

When  adding  or  subtracting  in  the  crossfooter  the  restoring 
bar  in  front  of  the  crossfooter  must  be  fully  released  before 
the  machine  can  be  operated. 

55 — Disconnecting  and  Connecting  the  Crossfooter  Register 

The  Crossfooter  register  can  be  disengaged  by  moving  the 
pointer  to  disconnect  position  at  extreme  right  where  it 
automatically  locks.  To  release,  press  down  key  at  upper 
left-hand  corner  of  crossfooter,  marked  "C.  F.  Release,"  then 
press  down  the  restoring  bar. 

56 — Star  Clear  Signal  Printing  Device 

The  star  clear  signal  printing  key  located  at  the  right  of  the 
numeral  keys  provides  a  check  on  the  accuracy  of  the  work. 
This  key  can  only  be  operated  and  a  star  printed  when  the 
crossfooter  shows  all  ciphers.  If  any  amount  shows  in  the 
crossfooter  register,  the  star  printing  mechanism  will  not 
operate,  indicating  to  the  operator  that  a  mistake  has  been 
made. 

Always  print  a  star  before  the  old  balance  to  indicate  that 
the  crossfooter  register  is  clear  before  old  balance  amount 
is  written. 

Always  print  a  star  after  each  new  balance  to  indicate  that 
the  crossfooter  register  was  clear  after  the  new  balance  was 
printed. 

These  two  rules  must  be  carefully  observed  to  insure 
accuracy. 

57 — Writing  and  Adding  in  Column  Registers 

The  machine  is  ready  to  write  and  add  when  the  Actuator 
"control"  button  is  pushed  all  the  way  in.  The  adding  mech- 


66  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

anism  adds  only  when  in  the  zone  of  a  register.  It  is 
necessary  that  figures  to  be  added  be  printed  in  their  proper 
column  in  the  register.  The  register  adds  hundreds  when  the 
pointer  at  the  top  of  the  actuator  points  to  hundreds;  the  same 
with  tens,  units  or  any  other  decimal  or  quantity  amount. 
Tabulate  accurately  to  the  proper  point.  Hundreds  must 
always  be  written  under  hundreds,  tens  under  tens,  units 
under  units,  etc.  To  write  and  add  figures,  tabulate  into  the 
right  position  in  the  register  and  press  the  numeral  print  keys 
for  any  figures  you  desire  to  write  and  add.  As  figures  are 
written  the  machine  adds  them  in  the  register. 

58 — Writing  and  Subtracting  in  Column  Registers 

Inasmuch  as  the  numeral  wheels  in  the  column  register 
always  turn  in  the  same  direction,  i.  e.,  always  add,  sub- 
traction in  the  column  registers  is  accomplished  by  adding  the 
complement  of  the  amount  to  be  subtracted  and  printed. 

59 — The  Rule  for  Complements 

The  complement  of  1  is  9. 
The  complement  of  2  is  8. 
The  complement  of  3  is  7. 
The  complement  of  4  is  6. 
The  complement  of  5  is  5. 
The  complement  of  6  is  4. 
The  complement  of  7  is  3. 
The  complement  of  8  is  2. 
The  complement  of  9  is  1. 

Any  of  these  two  numbers  added  together  will  result  in  a 
total  of  0  if  the  adding  register  is  of  single  column  capacity. 

The  complement  of  2  is  8. 
The  complement  of  22  is  78. 
The  complement  of  222  is  778. 
The  complement  of  2222  is  7778. 

If  we  add  2222  to  its  complement  7778  the  result  is  a  total 
of  0000  00,  if  we  use  a  decimal  register  of  six  column  capacity. 
If  we  use  a  larger  decimal  register  the  total  would  be  10000  00. 
In  considering  complementary  figures  we  always  assume  that 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine         67 

the  1  which  shows  up  at  the  left  in  registers  of  larger  capacity 
runs  to  the  left  into  infinity. 

If  we  have  100  00  from  which  we  wish  to  subtract  22  00 
by  the  complementary  method ;  we  would  add  the  complement 
of  22  which  is  78  and  disregard  the  1  in  the  hundreds  column; 
or  run  the  1  in  hundreds  column  to  infinity  by  throwing 
in  red  non-print  O's  to  the  left  of  the  78  complement.  This 
adds  9's  in  the  register.    Thus  (in  a  6D  register) : 

100.00  amount  in  register 0100  00 

Adding  the  complement  of  22  00 9978  00 

The  answer 0078  00 

If  we  had  78  52  from  which  we  desired  to  subtract  16  87 
by  the  complementary  method  and  were  using  a  7D  Register 
the  process  would  be  as  follows: 

78  52  in  Register 00078  52 

Adding  complement  of  16  87 99983  13 

The  answer 00061  65 

Elliott-Fisher  Bookkeeping  Machines  are  equipped  with 
a  row  of  numeral  print  keys  which  have  two  sets  of  figures. 
The  regular  type  is  used  for  writing  and  entering  all  ordinary 
figures.  The  complemental  (oblique)  type  is  used  for  writing 
and  entering  all  subtracted  amounts  or  credit  balance  figures. 

(D©®(D(D®©(D(D(D 

The  operation  of  making  a  subtraction  or  entering  a  credit 
balance  is  completed  by  striking  the  complement  key  before 
the  last  figure  of  value.  This  key  is  marked  0  and  is  located 
at  the  right  of  the  non-print  keys. 

The  complement  key  does  not  space  the  machine  or  print 
anything  on  the  paper.  (See  rule  for  credit  balances,  Section  76.) 

60 — Writing,  Adding  and  Subtracting  in  the  Crossfooter 

Note  from  the  foregoing  paragraphs  on  writing  and  adding, 
and  writing  and  subtracting  in  column  registers,  that  the 
column  register  numeral  wheels  always  turn  in  one  direction; 
i.  e.,  always  add. 


68  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

Now  observe  that  the  Crossfooter  register  will  add  or 
subtract  directly;  i.  e.,  the  numeral  wheels  in  the  Crossfooter 
register  turn  in  either  direction  as  may  be  desired. 

For  example,  when  we  write  an  amount  in  the  Debit  column 
the  Crossfooter  register  adds  as  well  as  the  column  register; 
when  we  write  an  amount  in  the  Credit  column  the  Crossfooter 
subtracts  while  the  column  register  adds ;  thus  the  Crossfooter 
register  adds  or  subtracts  regardless  of  the  adding  operation 
in  the  column  register.  The  Crossfooter  register  adds  or  sub- 
tracts according  to  the  kind  of  Crossfooter  control  bar  stop 
used  (see  Section  54). 

61 — Examples:  With  a  7D  register  over  the  Balance  column: 

Suppose  after  making  a  credit  posting  of  100  00  to  an  ac- 
count having  a  debit  balance  of  54  38  the  Crossfooter  showed 
99954  38,  a  minus  quantity.  To  write  it  proceed  as  follows: 
With  shift  key  down  and  ribbon  at  red,  copy  out  exactly  what 
the  Crossfooter  shows;  strike  black  non-print  key  9  three 
times;  strike  black  print  keys  5,  4,  3,  once  each;  strike  com- 
plement key  (which  changes  the  remaining  8  to  7) ;  strike  black 
print  key  7;  the  Crossfooter  clears  and  the  credit  balance  of 
^^   fe'Z-  is  printed  in  red  and  oblique  type  on  the  paper. 

Another  example: 

Start  with  a  debit  balance  of  103  10,  post  a  credit  of  80000  00 
and  print  the  new  credit  balance.  The  result  on  the  paper 
is  '"^^9G  SO  in  oblique  type  and  the  Crossfooter  is  clear. 

Having  worked  out  each  of  these  examples,  proved  each 
separately,  and  practiced  on  other  problems,  make  the  same 
entries  to  the  same  accounts  as  described  in  Sections  87-94 
inclusive.  Make  a  proof  sheet  of  the  entries  to  all  accounts 
just  as  you  would  in  actual  work.  Start  with  all  registers  clear. 
Do  not  clear  the  Old  Balance,  Debit,  Credit,  or  Balance  col- 
umn registers  until  all  entries  have  been  completed.  When 
completed  if  you  have  done  all  the  work  accurately  and 
copied  the  totals  correctly  from  the  column  registers,  your  proof 
sheet  will  look  exactly  like  the  one  illustrated  on  page  93. 
Study  all  the  variations  of  debits  and  credits.  Some  accounts 
start  with  no  old  balance;  some  with  debit  balances;  some 
with  credit  balances;  some  end  with  a  debit  balance;  some 
with  a  credit  balance  and  some  without  any  balance.    Note 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine         69 

when  and  why  oblique  figures  are  printed;  when  and  why 
numeral  0  figure  is  printed ;  when  and  why  alphabet  letter  O 
is  printed. 

No  example  has  been  given  showing  an  entry  where  the 
credit  posting  equals  the  old  debit  balance,  which  of  course 
squares  or  balances  the  account,  leaving  no  balance  to  be 
entered.  In  such  event  always  print  two  ciphers  (00)  in  the 
balance  column  to  show  that  the  account  is  balanced.  Print 
the  two  ciphers  in  their  proper  places  in  cents  column.  Leave 
the  bill  in  its  place  in  the  ledger  until  further  entries  are  to  be 
made  to  that  account.  Bills  showing  balanced  accounts  are 
not  mailed  to  the  customer  at  the  end  of  the  month.  Addi- 
tional entries  to  the  bill  later  must  show  proper  month  dating 
so  there  will  be  no  confusion  in  making  reference.  The  cus- 
tomer will  then  understand  the  complete  record  of  the  account 
from  the  time  one  bill  is  rendered  to  the  rendering  of  the  next 
bill  regardless  of  the  length  of  time  intervening.  Practice 
these  examples  over  and  over  again  until  you  are  sure  of  each 
step  and  can  get  the  correct  answer  every  time. 


62— Use  of  Non-Print  Keys 

The  non-print  keys  are  never  used  in  bookkeeping  by 
machinery  except  when  subtracting  and  printing  credit 
balances. 


63— Two  Styles  of  Figures 

It  is  necessary  to  have  some  means  besides  black  and  red 
figures  to  further  and  positively  distinguish  Debit  from  Credit 
Balances,  because  both  are  recorded  in  the  Balance  Column. 

Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine  prints  Debit 
Balances  which  are  regular  in  regular  type  and  black  ink, 
and  prints  Credit  Balances  which  are  the  exceptions  in 
oblique  type  and  red  ink.  There  can  be  no  confusing  one 
with  the  other,  either  on  the  original  copy  or  on  a  duplicate 
copy  where  the  carbon  makes  all  entries  in  uniform  color. 
Note  the  difference  between  these  two  styles  of  figures  and 
between  the  figure  0  and  letter  O  characters. 


70  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

Credit  Balance  or  oblique  figures. 

Debit  Balance  or  regular  figures. 

111222353UUU555666777888999000 

UPPER  CASE  LETTER  0     ^^^ 
LOWER  CASE  LETTER  0     000 


64— Rules  for  Subtracting  and  Printing 

Black  keys  are  always  used  for  adding.  Red  keys  are  always 
used  for  subtracting. 

To  subtract  from  a  register  and  print  the  amount  sub- 
tracted on  the  paper  usually  requires  the  use  of  both  the  print 
and  non-print  keys,  depending  upon  how  the  amount  sub- 
tracted is  printed  on  the  paper. 

The  usual  plan  is  to  print  the  amount  subtracted  without 
ciphers  to  the  left  of  figures  of  value,  viz. :  25  00.  Sometimes 
the  character  of  the  work  requires  that  ciphers  to  left  of  the 
figures  of  value  be  printed,  viz.:  (when  using  a  7D  Register) 
00025  00. 

When  no  ciphers  are  to  be  printed  to  the  left  of  the  figures 
of  value,  red  naught  non-print  key  is  used  for  such  ciphers  and 
red  print  keys  for  all  figures  to  the  right  thereof. 

When  ciphers  are  to  be  printed  to  the  left  of  figures  of  value, 
red  naught  print  key  is  used  for  all  the  ciphers. 

All  amounts  subtracted  are  printed  in  oblique  type  to  dis- 
tinguish subtracted  amounts  from  those  which  have  been 
added.  In  bookkeeping,  oblique  printed  amounts  indicate 
that  the  amount  has  been  subtracted  from  the  column  total 
in  which  the  oblique  amount  is  printed.  The  remaining  total 
is  the  net  total;  i.  e.,  the  total  addition  less  the  subtracted 
amount. 

Oblique  figures  in  the  Old  and  New  Balance  Columns  are 
known  as  Credit  Balances. 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine  71 

65 — Examples 

Example  No.  1:  Amount  in  standard  size  T7D  register  is 
127  34  (register  reads  00127  34).  To  print  16  55  and  subtract 
from  register,  shift  ribbon  to  red,  tabulate  into  first  wheel 
in  register  (using  tabulator  key  marked  lOM),  press  red  non- 
print  key  0  three  times,  and  with  shift  key  down  press  red 
print  key  1  once,  red  print  key  6  once,  red  print  key  5  once. 
Before  striking  last  figure  of  value,  press  complement  key, 
then  red  print  key  5  once.  Answer:  110  79  in  register  with 
V6  ^^  printed  in  oblique  type  on  paper. 

Example  No.  2:  Amount  in  standard  size  T7D  register 
is  195  63  (register  reads  00195  63).  To  print  40  05  and  sub- 
tract from  register:  Shift  ribbon  to  red,  tabulate  into  first 
wheel  in  register,  press  red  non-print  key  0  three  times,  and 
with  shift  key  down  press  red  print  key  4  once,  red  print  key 
0  twice.  Before  striking  last  figure  of  value,  press  complement 
key,  then  red  print  key  5  once.  Answer:  155  58  in  register, 
with  \V^  ^^  printed  in  oblique  type  on  paper. 

Example  No.  3:  Amount  in  standard  size  T7D  register 
is  47  00  (register  reads  00047  00).  To  print  and  subtract 
7  00  from  register:  Shift  ribbon  to  red,  tabulate  into  first 
wheel  in  register,  and  press  red  non-print  key  0  four  times. 
Before  striking  last  figure  of  value,  press  complement  key, 
then  with  shift  key  down  press  red  print  key  7  once,  then 
letter  key  O  (not  the  numeral  0  key)  twice.  Answer:  40  00 
in  register  with  "A  ^^  printed  in  oblique  type  on  paper. 

Try  subtracting  and  printing  other  amounts.  Do  not  pass 
these  examples  until  you  thoroughly  understand  how  to  sub- 
tract and  print.  Be  sure  you  understand  how  to  use  the 
numeral  0  key  always  at  the  left  of  the  last  figure  of  value, 
and  learn  to  use  the  alphabet  letter  O  always  for  all  ciphers 
to  the  right  of  the  last  figure  of  value.  Learn  why  alphabet 
letter  O  key  is  used  in  one  place  and  numeral  0  key  in  another. 

66 — Use  of  Numeral  Naught  Key 

(In  Column  Register) 
When  subtracting  figures  from  a  column  register  (not  the 
crossfooter)  and  printing  them  on  paper,  use  the  red  numeral 
0  non-print  key  for  all  ciphers  to  the  left  of  the  first  figure  of 
value. 


72  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

For  all  ciphers,  between  figures  of  value,  use  the  red  numeral 
0  print  key. 

Example :  To  subtract  402  09  from  a  standard  size  register 
of  T7D  capacity:  Shift  ribbon  to  red,  tabulate  into  first 
wheel  of  register,  and  with  shift  key  down,  press  red  numeral 
0  non-print  key  twice,  then  red  4  print  key  once,  red  numeral 
0  print  key  once,  red  2  print  key  once,  red  numeral  0  print 
key  once,  press  complement  key,  then  red  9  print  key  once. 

67— Use  of  Alphabet  Letter  O  Key 

(In  Column  Register) 

When  subtracting  figures  from  a  column  register  (not  the 
crossfooter)  and  printing  them  on  paper,  always  use  alphabet 
letter  O  key  to  the  right  of  the  last  figure  of  value. 

Example:  To  print  70  00  and  subtract  from  a  register  of 
standard  size  T7D  capacity:  Shift  ribbon  to  red,  tabulate  to 
first  wheel  of  register  and  with  shift  key  down,  press  red 
0  non-print  key  three  times,  then  complement  key,  then  red 
7  print  key  once.  With  shift  key  still  down  print  remaining 
0  00  with  alphabet  letter  O  key  because  they  are  not  figures 
of  value  and  will  not  affect  the  register. 

The  alphabet  letter  O  is  a  double  arm  key  in  a  standard 
bookkeeping  machine  keyboard.  It  prints  O  on  the  lower  case 
and  oblique  0  on  the  upper  case.  The  shift  key  must  always 
be  held  down  when  this  key  is  used  to  complete  an  amount 
having  ciphers  to  the  right  of  the  last  figure  of  value,  because 
all  figures  to  represent  subtracted  amounts  or  credit  balances 
must  be  oblique  to  distinguish  them  from  ordinary  figures 
and  debit  balances. 

68 — Copying  a  Credit  Balance 

(In  the  Balance  Column) 

Shift  ribbon  to  red  and  with  shift  key  down,  strike  black 
numeral  9  non-print  key  up  to  the  first  figure  of  value  other 
than  9  to  be  subtracted  and  printed.  Press  corresponding 
black  print  key  for  every  other  figure,  including  naughts, 
shown  in  crossfooter,  up  to  the  last  figure  of  value.  Press 
complement  key  and  then  black  print  key  corresponding  to  the 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine  73 

last  figure  remaining  in  the  crossfooter.     If  this  results  in  a 
naught,  the  numeral  naught  print  key  is  used. 

This  rule  applies  only  when  there  is  a  credit  balance  in  the 
crossfooter  which  is  indicated  by  complementary  9's  to  the  ~ 
left  of  all  other  figures  shown,  as  99993  28.  If  the  crossfooter 
contains  only  9*s  as  99990  00,  the  complement  key  must  be 
struck  before  the  last  9.  This  changes  the  9  to  8.  With  the 
shift  key  down,  strike  the  black  8  print  key  which  prints  Von 
the  paper,  then  strike  alphabet  letter  O  key  three  times  and 
credit  balance  of  VO    00  is  shown  on  the  paper. 

x}^  123  U5  MDSE   20   00  1U3  U5  Jj* 

}>   IU.3  U5   CASH  153  U5   VO  00  JJ- 

69— Use  of  Numeral  Naught  Key 

(In  the  Balance  Column) 

Example :  The  crossfooter  shows  99994  01  or  a  Cr.  Balance 
to  be  printed  as  ^  99.  Shift  ribbon  to  red  and  with  shift  key 
down,  strike  black  numeral  9  non-print  key  four  times. 
Press  black  numeral  4  print  key  once;  press  black  numeral  0 
print  key  once.  Before  printing  the  last  figure  of  value,  press 
complement  key.  With  shift  key  still  down,  strike  black  0 
print  key  because  1  was  a  figure  of  value  before  it  was  changed 
to  0.     This  clears  the  crossfooter  and  the  balance  printed  is 

^  99  CB. 

«^  123  U5  MDSE   12  00  135  M-5  ^ 

*  135  U5   CASH  IW  I4.I;    ^  99  * 

70 — Misuse  of  Numeral  Naught  Key 

(In  the  Balance  Column) 

Example  1 :  The  crossfooter  shows  a  credit  balance  of  ^  00 
and  the  crossfooter  register  reads  99995  00.  The  operator 
proceeds  according  to  the  rule  (see  Section  68),  until  she  prints 
the  figure  of  value  5.  Then  with  the  shift  key  still  down,  she 
strikes  the  black  numeral  naught  print  key  twice,  by  mistake, 
instead  of  alphabet  letter  O  key.  This  results  in  ^  99  being 
printed  on  the  paper  instead  of  the  correct  credit  balance  of 


74  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

^   ^0 .    This  wrong  operation  if  passed  by  will  result  in  an 
error  in  the  amount  and  final  trial  balance. 

*  125  W  MDSE    8  00  151  ll5  * 

*  151  U5  CASH  156  US    5  99  xj^ 

Example  2 :  The  crossfooter  shows  a  credit  balance  of  ^  ^0 
which  reads  99995  00.  The  operator  proceeds  according  to 
the  rule  until  she  prints  the  figure  of  value  5.  Then  with  the 
shift  key  still  down  she  strikes  the  red  numeral  0  print  key 
twice  by  mistake  instead  of  alphabet  letter  O  key. 

The  result  is  that  the  correct  credit  balance  of  ^  ^^  is 
printed  on  the  paper,  but  the  crossfooter  shows  99999  01,  and 
attention  is  called  to  the  error  because  she  cannot  print  the 
star  clear  signal. 

J}  131  M-S     CASH  136  U5         ^  ^^ 

71— Use  of  Alphabet  Letter  O  Key 

(In  the  Balance  Column) 

(When  copying  from  the  crossfooter  Register) 

This  key  is  used  to  print  all  naughts  when  shown  to  the 
right  of  last  figure  of  value. 

For  example:  The  crossfooter  (standard  size  T7D)  shows 
99990  00  or  a  credit  balance  to  be  printed  as  V^    Ci^. 

Shift  ribbon  to  red  and  with  shift  key  down,  press  black 
numeral  9  non-print  key  three  times,  because  the  remaining 
9  in  this  case  is  a  figure  of  value.  Press  complement  key  which 
changes  the  9  to  8.  Press  black  numeral  8  print  key.  This 
prints  V.  With  shift  key  still  down,  press  alphabet  letter 
O  key  three  times.  This  clears  the  crossfooter  and  the  correct 
balance  as  printed  is  \.^   ^0  CB. 

*  131  U5     CASH  lUl  U5       VC^  0^  ri- 

72— Entering  Credit  Balance 

(In  Old  Balance  Column) 

The  same  three  rules  govern  the  picking  up  and  printing 
of  a  Credit  Balance  when  brought  down  in  the  Old  Balance 
column,  except  that  the  red  numeral  keys  are  used  exactly 
corresponding  with  the  figures  to  be  entered. 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine  75 

73 — Use  of  Numeral  Naught  Key 

(In  Old  Balance  Column) 

Example:  A  credit  balance  of  5.99  is  picked  up  and  entered 
as  an  old  balance. 

Shift  ribbon  to  red  and  press  star  clear  signal  key  marked  JjJL 
to  show  that  crossfooter  is  clear. 

With  shift  key  down  strike  red  numeral  0  non-print  key  four 
times.  This  enters  9999  in  the  crossfooter  and  brings  us  to  the 
first  figure  of  value  to  be  printed.  Press  red  numeral  5  print 
key  once  and  red  numeral  9  print  key  once.  Before  printing 
the  last  figure  of  value,  press  complement  key  once.  Then 
press  red  numeral  9  print  key  once.  The  result  in  the  cross- 
footer  is  99994  01,  which  is  the  complement  of  the  credit 
balance  of  ^  99  printed  on  the  paper. 

74 — Misuse  of  Numeral  Naught  Key 

(In  Old  Balance  Column) 

Example  1:  A  credit  balance  of  5.00  is  to  be  entered  in 
the  Old  Balance  Column.  The  operator  proceeds  according  to 
the  rule  until  she  prints  the  figure  of  value  5;  then  with  the 
shift  key  still  down  she  strikes  by  mistake  the  red  numeral 
0  print  key  twice  instead  of  the  alphabet  letter  O  key;  this 
prints  two  oblique  ^^  on  the  paper  but  adds  99  in  the 
column  register  and  in  the  crossfooter.  This  difference  of 
99c  will  be  detected  when  checking  the  pre-determined  total 
of  Old  Balances  against  the  register  total. 

^  131  US     CASH         156  ^    ^  0^  x> 
y^      ^  ^^  MDSE   lU  98  10  97  ^ 

Example  2:  A  credit  balance  of  5.00  is  to  be  entered  in 
the  Old  Balance  Column.  The  operator  proceeds  according  to 
the  rule  until  she  prints  the  figure  of  value  5;  then  with  the 
shift  key  still  down  she  strikes  by  mistake  the  black  numeral 
0  print  key  twice  instead  of  the  letter  O  key.  This  prints  99 
on  the  paper  and  the  amount  shows  as  ^  99  instead  of 
^  ^O  as  it  should  show.  Neither  the  column  register  total 
nor  the  Crossfooter  is  affected  by  the  99  cent  error. 

«►  151  U5  CASH  136  U5    5  ^^  * 

*   ^99  MDSE   1?  00  8  00  xi- 


It 


76  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

75— Correct  Use  of  the  Alphabet  Letter  O  Key 

(In  Old  Balance  Column) 

A  Credit  Balance  of  V^  ^^  is  picked  up  and  entered  as 
an  Old  Balance. 

Shift  ribbon  to  red  and  press  star  clear  signal  key  marked  t^T 
to  show  that  crossfooter  is  clear. 

With  shift  key  down  strike  red  numeral  0  non-print  key  three 
times.  This  enters  999  in  the  crossfooter  and  brings  us  to  the 
first  figure  of  value  to  be  printed.  Before  printing  first  figure 
of  value  (1)  press  complement  key  once,  then  strike  red  nu- 
meral 1  print  key  once.  With  shift  key  still  down  press  alphabet 
letter  O  key  three  times.  The  result  in  the  Crossfooter  is 
99990  00,  which  is  the  complement  of  the  correct  Credit 
Balance  of  \0   0^  printed  on  the  paper. 

*  131  U5   CASH  lUl  U5   VC^  0^  ti- 

^     VO  ^^  MDSE   20  00  10  00  JJ^ 

76 — Use  of  Complement  Key 

The  Complement  Key  must  always  be  pressed  just  before 
the  last  figure  of  value  when  substracting  or  in  copying  credit 
balance.  This  rule  is  the  same  even  if  there  is  only  one  figure 
of  value  to  be  printed,  as  V^^  00  or  ^^  ^Y:  It  covers 
the  crossfooter  and  all  column  registers — and  credit  balances 
as  well  as  subtractions. 

Failure  to  press  the  complement  key  according  to  above 
instructions  will  result  in  wrong  balances  being  computed 
in  the  crossfooter  and  column  register  or  wrong  figures  being 
printed  on  paper.  Note  the  following  examples  of  wrong  opera- 
tion: 

77 — Misuse  of  Complement  Key  After  Last  Figure  of  Value 

(In  Balance  Column) 

With  the  Crossfooter  indicating  a  credit  balance  of  ^  ^^ 
and  reading  99995  00 :  The  operator  presses  the  black  numeral 
9  non-print  key  four  times  according  to  the  rule.  She  fails 
to  strike  the  complement  key  before  the  figure  5,  strikes  the 
black  5  numeral  print  key  which  prints  the  figure  4  in  oblique 
type  on  the  paper.     She  then  presses  the  complement  key 


Elliott- Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine         77 

which  causes  the  crossfooter  to  show  the  figures  99999  90. 
She  completes  the  operation  by  printing  two  naughts  but 
cannot  print  the  star  clear  signal. 

*  131  U5     CASH  136  U5         X  ^C^ 

78 — Misuse  of  Complement  Key  Before  Last  Figure  of  Value 

(In  Balance  Column) 
With  the  crossfooter  showing  credit  balance  of  ^  ^^  and 
reading  99995  00:  The  operator  presses  the  black  numeral 
9  non-print  key  three  times,  then  by  mistake  strikes  the 
complement  key,  which  of  course  changes  the  9  in  the  cross- 
footer  to  8.  She  strikes  the  black  8  and  the  black  5  numeral 
print  keys  which  print  the  figures  \\V  ^^  in  oblique  type  on 
the  paper  instead  of  the  credit  balance  of  ^  ^^  which  should 
have  been  printed.  The  crossfooter  shows  00000  00  and  permits 
the  star  clear  signal  to  be  printed.  While  CB.  ^\\  ^^  is 
printed,  only  ^  00  has  been  subtracted  from  the  col- 
umn register  over  the  balance  column.  If  this  mistake  in 
operation  is  passed  by  it  will  result  in  an  error  in  the  account 
and  in  the  final  trial  balance. 
*  131  U5     CASH  136  U5       \J\  00  * 

79 — Failure  to  Press  Complement  Key 

(In  Balance  Column) 

With  the  Crossfooter  showing  a  credit  balance  of  ^  00 
and  reading  99995  00 :  The  operator  presses  the  black  numeral 
9  non-print  key  four  times  according  to  the  rule,  fails  to  press 
the  complement  key,  strikes  the  black  numeral  5  print  key 
which  clears  the  crossfooter  and  results  in  the  figures  ^\.  00 
in  oblique  type  being  printed  on  the  paper  instead  of  the 
correct  credit  balance  of  5.00.  If  this  mistake  in  operation  is 
passed  by  it  will  result  in  an  error  in  the  account  and  in  the 
final  trial  balance  of  1  00. 

»>  131  U5     CASH  136  1^5         >\  00  * 

80 — Failure  to  Press  Complement  Key 

(In  Old  Balance  Column) 
A  credit  balance  of  ^  00  is  to  be  entered  in   the  Old 
Balance  Column.        The  operator   presses   the   red  naught 


78  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

numeral  non  print  key  four  times,  fails  to  strike  the  comple- 
ment key  before  the  5 — the  only  figure  of  value — strikes 
the  red  numeral  5  print  key  once  and  the  alphabet  letter  O 
key  twice.  The  result  is  that  the  correct  credit  balance  of 
5.00  is  printed  while  6  ^Q>  (the  complement  of  99994.00) 
has  been  recorded  in  the  column  register.  Such  an  error  will 
be  detected  when  checking  the  pre-determined  total  of  old 
balances  against  the  total  in  the  column  register,  which  of 
course  will  be  $1.00  short. 

*  131  h5     CASH  136  U5    ^  ^^  «► 

*  5  ^0  MDSE   15  00  9  00  J^ 

81— Misuse  of  the  Shift  Key 

When  subtracting  or  in  writing  credit  balance  amounts  the 
shift  key  must  always  be  held  down  while  striking  all  keys, 
otherwise  odd  errors  will  result.  For  example,  the  crossfooter 
shows  a  new  balance  of  99945  50  (a  credit  balance  of  54.50). 
The  operator  strikes  black  non-print  key  9  three  times,  the 
black  4,  and  5  key,  the  complement  key  and  the  black  4  key, 
but  fails  to  hold  down  the  shift  key  and  45.40  is  printed  in 
regular  or  debit  balance  type  instead  of  ^\  ''t)^  in  oblique  or 
credit  balance  type  as  would  have  been  printed  had  the  shift 
key  been  held  down. 

*  131  U5     CASH  185  95        U5  UO  J}^ 

82 — A  Homely  Illustration  of  Freak  Errors 

All  the  foregoing  mistakes  in  operation  (Sections  Nos.  70, 
74,  77-81)  may  appear  ridiculous — they  are  commonly  known 
as  freak  errors,  but  it  is  just  such  irregular  operations  that 
cause  long  hunts  for  the  mistakes  which  come  from  such  care- 
lessness. Were  we  to  say  that  in  writing  the  word  "act"  it  is 
necessary  to  write  the  a  first,  the  c  second  and  the  t  third  and 
that  if  we  struck  these  three  letters  in  some  other  sequence  that 
the  result  might  spell  "cat,"  it  would  doubtless  be  considered  a 
jest.  Nevertheless  it  is  just  as  important  to  do  things  on  the 
bookkeeping  machine  properly  and  just  as  absurd  to  expect 
proper  results  from  improper  operation  as  it  would  be  to  expect 
the  writing  keys  to  spell  "act"  if  we  struck  the  letter  c  first. 


The  Flat  Writing  Surface 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine         81 

83— A  Safe  Rule  for  Entering  Credit  Balances 

Ordinarily  there  are  so  few  credit  balances  to  handle,  one 
does  not  become  so  expert  with  credit  balances  as  with  debit 
balances  which  constitute  the  greater  volume  of  the  work; 
therefore  the  operator  is  more  liable  to  make  errors  when  han- 
dling credit  balances  than  when  handling  debit  balances.  The 
safe  rule  is  not  to  pass  an  entry  containing  credit  balance 
figures  without  being  absolutely  certain  that  they  are  correct. 
It  takes  but  a  moment  to  check  an  occasional  credit  balance 
and  to  be  certain  it  is  correct.  Always  be  sure  you  are  right 
and  then  go  ahead. 

84— The  Flat  Writing  Surface 

The  flat  writing  surface  distinguishes  Elliott-Fisher  The 
Bookkeeping  Machine  from  all  other  machines  that  write  or  add. 

When  one  writes,  whether  by  hand  or  machine,  it  is  necessary 
to  place  the  form  upon  something  to  support  it  while  writing. 

When  writing  by  hand  one  naturally  selects  a  flat  surface, 
usually  a  desk  or  table.  A  flat  surface  is  always  selected  be- 
cause the  sheet  to  be  written  on  is  always  flat.  Any  other 
than  a  fiat  surface  would  be  awkward  and  unsatisfactory  for 
handwriting. 

When  using  Elliott-Fisher,  the  flat  platen  provides  a  flat 
writing  surface  for  the  forms  while  they  are  written. 

With  the  flat  platen  forms  of  any  size  or  thickness  can  be 
placed  one  upon  another  and  quickly  assembled  and  accurately 
registered  as  desired.  This  is  the  main  reason  why  it  is  easy 
to  make  the  ledger,  statement  and  proof  sheet  (or  a  multiple 
of  various  sized  records)  all  at  one  simple  operation  on  Elliott- 
Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine. 

The  flat  writing  surface  does  away  with  the  necessity  of 
using  loose  sheets  of  carbon  paper.  With  the  flat  writing 
surface  the  carbon  paper  can  be  carried  in  rolls  which  the 
machine  handles  automatically. 

85 — Placing  Forms  in  the  Machine 

The  proof  sheet  is  placed  to  the  right  under  the  lower  carbon 
roll  (see  Page  80)  and  the  right  edge  with  punched  holes  is 
placed  over  the  proof  sheet  carrier. 


82  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

The  foot  pedal  (see  Page  16)  is  depressed  and  the  ledger 
sheet  is  inserted  from  the  right  between  the  upper  and  lower 
carbon  rolls  and  registered,  the  last  entry  on  the  ledger  sheet 
with  the  last  entry  on  the  proof  sheet,  its  left  edge  under  the 
left  platen  rail. 

With  the  foot  pedal  still  depressed  the  bill  or  statement  is 
then  placed  on  top  of  the  upper  carbon  roll  with  its  left  edge 
under  the  left  platen  rail,  registering  the  last  item  on  the  bill  or 
statement  with  the  last  item  on  the  ledger  sheet.  Then  the  foot 
pedal  is  released  which  allows  the  writing  surface  to  return 
(rise)  to  normal  position,  clamping  the  forms  under  the  platen 
rail,  as  is  clearly  shown  in  the  illustration. 

After  the  entry  has  been  made,  pressure  on  the  foot  pedal 
lowers  the  writing  surface,  the  ledger  sheet  and  bill  or  state- 
ment are  then  removed  simultaneously  and  returned  to  their 
proper  place  in  the  ledger  binder. 

The  proof  sheet  remains  in  the  machine  until  it  is  com- 
pletely filled  with  entries  or  until  the  run  of  work  is  completed. 
If  more  than  one  proof  sheet  is  required  for  a  run  of  posting, 
then  each  proof  sheet  is  numbered  in  the  order  of  its  use  and 
sub-totals  are  shown  on  each  sheet. 

In  cases  where  more  than  one  copy  of  proof  sheet,  bill  or 
statement  are  required,  platens  with  more  carbon  rolls  (up  to 
five)  may  be  had  on  order. 

86 — Details  of  Operation 

Before  proceeding  with  the  actual  posting  of  accounts  we 
must,  of  course,  know  how  to  post  debits  and  credits,  and  how 
to  handle  a  debit  or  a  credit  balance  because  we  have  such 
conditions  in  actual  work  and  the  examples  which  follow 
represent  the  variations. 

In  accounts  receivable  work  a  debit  or  charge  covers  goods 
sold  to  a  customer.  The  customer's  account  is  debited  or 
charged  with  the  amount  of  such  sale,  increasing  the  amount 
the  customer  owes. 

When  the  customer  owes  the  firm  money,  the  balance  is 
known  as  a  debit  balance. 

A  credit  covers  goods  returned  by  the  customer,  or  cash 
paid  by  the  customer.    Such  items  are  credited  to  the  account 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine         83 

of  the  customer,  decreasing  the  amount  the  customer  owes 
the  firm. 

When  the  customer  overpays  the  account,  as  sometimes 
happens,  the  firm  owes  the  customer  money  and  the  balance 
is  known  as  a  credit  balance. 

Debit  Balances  are  shown  in  black. 

Credit  Balances  are  shown  in  red. 

Debits  are  always  posted  in  the  Debit  column  and  Credits 
are  always  posted  in  the  Credit  column,  but  Debit  Balances 
and  Credit  Balances  are  both  shown  in  the  Balance  column. 

The  customer's  name,  in  full  if  possible,  is  copied  from  the 
sales  ticket  and  written  on  the  right  margin  of  the  ledger  sheet. 
It  manifolds  through  on  the  proof  sheet.  Comparison  with  the 
name  at  the  top  of  the  ledger  sheet,  or  the  one  written  just 
above  in  the  margin,  calls  immediate  attention  to  any  error. 
An  item  posted  to  the  wrong  account  is  thus  detected  at  once. 

EXAMPLES  OF  ENTRIES 

87— A  Debit  (Charge)  Posting  to  an  Account  Having  No  Old 
Balance 

Example:  Mrs.  A.  B.  Axtel,  who  has  an  account  at  the 
store,  but  owes  the  store  nothing,  makes  a  charge  purchase 
of 

1  Pr.  Shoes $7.65 

1  Pr.  Slippers 4.00 

1  Polishing  Outfit 75 


$12.40 

Print  the  star  clear  signal  immediately  to  the  left  of  the  old 
balance  column.  There  is  no  old  balance  on  the  account  so 
the  machine  is  tabulated  to  the  No.  column  and  the  sales 
ticket  or  clerk  number  is  written ;  the  machine  is  tabulated  to 
the  Date  column  and  the  date  written.  The  machine  is 
tabulated  to  the  Items  column,  the  three  items  are  written 
and  the  respective  amounts  added  in  the  5D  Items  register; 
the  total  of  12  40  is  written  in  the  Debit  or  Charge  column 
which  simultaneously  adds  in  the  Debit  column  register  and 
adds  in  the  crossfooter  register.  The  amount  shown  in  the 
crossfooter  register  is  the  New  (Debit)  Balance  on  that  account. 


84  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

The  machine  is  tabulated  to  the  tens  of  dollars  position  in  the 
Balance  column,  and  the  New  Balance  of  12  40  is  written; 
this  simultaneously  adds  in  the  Balance  column  register  and 
subtracts  from  and  clears  the  crossfooter  register. 

The  star  clear  signal  is  printed  immediately  to  the  right 
of  the  Balance  column  as  written  evidence  that  the  entry  was 
correctly  made.  Mrs.  A.  B.  Axtel's  name,  in  full  if  possible,  is 
then  copied  from  the  sales  ticket  and  written  on  the  right  mar- 
gin of  the  ledger  sheet ;  it  manifolds  through  on  the  proof  sheet 
so  that  the  complete  name  (part  carbon  copy  and  part  original) 
shows  on  the  proof  sheet.  This  is  a  check  against  posting 
tickets  to  the  wrong  account. 

Having  completed  the  entry,  the  crossfooter  register  is 
clear.    The  column  registers  prove  the  accuracy  of  the  work. 

Old  Balance  0  00  -h  Debits  12  40  =  Balance  12  40. 

The  operator  then  clears  the  items  register  and  proceeds 
with  the  next  entry. 

88— A  Debit  (Charge)  Posting  to  an  Account  Having  an  Old  Debit 
Balance 

Example:  Mrs.  B.  C.  Baxter,  who  already  owes  the  store 
$32.45  on  open  account,  makes  a  charge  purchase  of 

2  Waists $10.00 

1  Boy's  Suit 13.75 


$23.75 


Print  the  star  clear  signal  immediately  to  the  left  of  the 
Old  Balance  column,  tabulate  to  the  tens  of  dollars  position 
in  the  Old  Balance  column;  print  the  old  balance  of  32  45; 
this  simultaneously  adds  in  the  Old  Balance  column  register 
and  in  the  crossfooter  register;  tabulate  to  the  No.  column 
and  write  the  sales  ticket  or  clerk  number;  tabulate  to  the 
Date  column  and  write  the  date;  tabulate  to  the  Items  column 
and  write  the  items  in  the  regular  way  which  lists  the  amounts 
in  the  5D  items  register  and  shows  a  total  of  23  75;  tabulate 
to  the  tens  of  dollars  position  in  the  Debit  column  and  write 
the  amount  of  the  charge  23  75 ;  this  simultaneously  adds  in  the 
Debit  column  register  and  in  the  crossfooter  register  (which 
already  contains  32  45) ;    the  crossfooter  register  now  reads 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine         87 

56  20,  which  Mrs.  Baxter  owes;  tabulate  to  the  tens  of  dollars 
position  in  the  Balance  column  and  write  56  20;  this  simul- 
taneously adds  in  the  Balance  column  register  and  subtracts 
from  and  clears  the  crossfooter  register.  Print  the  star  clear 
signal  immediately  to  the  right  of  the  Balance  column;  then 
write  Mrs.  B.  C.  Baxter's  name  on  the  margin  of  the  ledger 
sheet  and  on  the  proof  sheet  as  heretofore  described. 

Having  completed  the  entry  the  crossfooter  register  is  clear. 
The  column  registers  prove  the  accuracy  of  the  work. 

Old  Balance  32  45   +  Debits  23  75   =   Balance  56  20. 

The  operator  then  clears  the  items  register  and  proceeds 
with  the  next  entry. 

89— A  Debit  (Charge)  Posting  to  an  Account  Having  a  Credit 
Balance,  the  Charge  Being  Larger  Than  the  Credit  Balance 

Example:  Mrs.  C.  D.  Cadwick,  who  has  overpaid  her 
account,  the  store  owing  her  $7.63,  makes  a  charge  purchase  of 
ISuit $45.00 

Print  the  star  clear  signal  immediately  to  the  left  of  the 
Old  Balance  column;  tabulate  to  the  first  register  wheel  (to 
the  left)  position  in  the  Old  Balance  column,  which,  if  a 
7D  register,  will  be  the  tens  of  thousands  dollars  position; 
switch  on  red  ribbon;  hold  shift  key  down,  strike  red  numeral 
0  non-print  key  four  times,  red  7  print  key  once,  red  6  print 
key  once,  complement  key  and  then  the  red  3  print  key.  This 
operation  prints  the  credit  balance  of  **\  ^p)  in  oblique  figures 
in  red  in  the  Old  Balance  column ;  this  simultaneously  adds  the 
complement  of  7  63  (99992  37)  in  the  Old  Balance  column 
register  and  in  the  crossfooter  register;  shift  ribbon  to  write 
black,  tabulate  to  No.  column  and  write  sales  ticket  or  clerk 
number;  tabulate  to  Date  column  and  write  the  date;  tabulate 
to  Items  column  and  write  the  description  of  the  article; 
there  is  only  one  item  so  disregard  the  5D  Items  register  and 
tabulate  to  tens  of  dollars  position  in  the  Debit  column ;  write 
the  amount  of  the  ticket  45  00 ;  this  simultaneously  adds  in  the 
Debit  column  register  and  in  the  crossfooter  register  (which 
already  contains  the  complement  of  the  old  credit  balance). 
The  crossfooter  register  now  reads  37  37  which  Mrs.  Cadwick 
owes;  tabulate  to  the  tens  of  dollars  position  in  the  balance 
c»lumn;  write  37  37  which  simultaneously  adds  in  the  Balance 


88  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

column  register  and  subtracts  from  and  clears  the  crossfooter 
register.  Print  the  star  clear  signal  immediately  to  the 
right  of  the  New  Balance  column;  then  write  Mrs.  C.  D. 
Cadwick's  name  on  the  margin  of  the  ledger  and  on  the  proof 
sheet  as  heretofore  described. 

Having  completed  the  entry  the  crossfooter  register  is  clear. 
The  column  registers  prove  the  accuracy  of  the  work. 

Old  Balance  99992  37  -f  Debits  45  00  =  Balance  37  37. 

90— A  Debit  (Charge)  Posting  to  an  Account  Having  a  Credit 
Balance,  the  Charge  Being  Smaller  Than  the  Credit  Balance 

Example:  Mrs.  D.  E.  Dapper,  who  has  overpaid  her  ac- 
count $10.00,  makes  a  charge  purchase  of 

10  Yards  Ribbon $0.50 

4  Spools  Thread 32 

1  Silk  Braid 1.25 


$2.07 


Print  the  star  clear  signal  immediately  to  the  left  of  the 
Old  Balance  column;  tabulate  to  the  first  register  wheel 
(to  the  left)  position  in  the  Old  Balance  column,  which,  if 
a  7D  register,  will  be  the  tens  of  thousands  dollars  position; 
switch  on  the  red  ribbon;  hold  shift  key  down;  strike  red 
numeral  0  non-print  key  three  times;  strike  complement  key 
and  red  1  print  key  once;  then  strike  alphabet  letter  O  key 
three  times.  This  operation  prints  the  credit  balance  of 
V^  0^  in  oblique  figures  in  red  in  the  Old  Balance  column ; 
this  simultaneously  adds  the  complement  of  10  00  (99990  00) 
in  the  Old  Balance  column  register  and  in  the  crossfooter 
register;  shift  ribbon  to  write  black;  tabulate  to  No.  column 
and  write  sales  ticket  or  clerk  number ;  tabulate  to  Date  column 
and  write  the  date;  tabulate  to  the  Items  column  and  write 
the  items  which  lists  the  amount  in  the  5D  Items  register  and 
shows  2  07;  tabulate  to  the  units  of  dollars  position  in  the 
Debit  column  and  write  the  amount  2  07 ;  this  simultaneously 
adds  in  the  Debit  column  register  and  in  the  crossfooter  reg- 
ister; the  crossfooter  register  now  reads  99992  07,  the  com- 
plement of  Mrs.  Dapper's  credit  balance  or  the  amount  the 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine  89 

store  owes  Mrs.  Dapper.  Tabulate  to  the  first  register  wheel 
(to  the  left)  position  in  the  Balance  column  which,  if  a  7D 
register,  will  be  the  tens  of  thousands  dollars  position;  switch 
on  the  red  ribbon;  hold  shift  key  down;  strike  black  9  non- 
print  key  four  times,  black  2  print  key  once,  black  numeral 
0  print  key  once;  strike  complement  key  (which  changes  the 
remaining  7  in  the  crossfooter  register  to  6)  then  the  black 
6  print  key  once ;  this  operation  has  printed  the  credit  balance 
of  'X  S*"^  in  oblique  type  in  red  in  the  Balance  column ;  it  si- 
multaneously added  the  complement  (99992  07)  in  the  Balance 
column  register  and  subtracted  from  and  cleared  the  crossfooter 
register.  Print  the  star  clear  signal  immediately  to  the  right 
of  the  Balance  column;  then  write  Mrs.  D.  E.  Dapper's 
name  on  the  margin  of  the  ledger  and  proof  sheet  as  heretofore 
described. 

Having  completed  the  entry  the  crossfooter  register  is  clear. 
The  column  registers  prove  the  accuracy  of  the  work. 

Old  Balance  99990  00  +  Debit  2  07  =  Balance  99992  07. 

The  operator  then  clears  the  Items  register  and  proceeds 
with  the  next  entry. 

91 — A  Credit  Posting  to  an  Account  Having  an  Old  Debit  Balance 
Larger  Than  the  Credit 

Example:  Mrs.  E.  F.  Eddy,  who  owes  the  store  $162.43, 
pays  on  account  $98.75. 

Print  the  star  clear  signal  immediately  to  the  left  of  the 
Old  Balance  column.  Tabulate  to  the  hundreds  of  dollars 
position  in  the  Old  Balance  column,  write  162  43  old  balance; 
this  simultaneously  adds  in  the  Old  Balance  column  register 
and  in  the  crossfooter  register;  switch  on  the  red  ribbon; 
tabulate  to  the  No.  column  and  write  the  cash  ticket  number; 
tabulate  to  the  Date  column  and  write  the  date;  tabulate  to 
the  Items  column  and  write  "cash;"  tabulate  to  the  tens  of 
dollars  position  in  the  Credit  column;  write  98  75  credit; 
this  simultaneously  adds  in  the  Credit  column  register  and 
subtracts  from  the  old  balance  amount  (162  43)  in  the  cross- 
footer  register;  the  crossfooter  then  reads  63  68,  which  Mrs. 
Eddy  owes  the  store;  switch  ribbon  back  to  write  black, 
tabulate  to  tens  of  dollars  position  in  the  Balance  column  and 
write  63  68;  this  simultaneously  adds  in  the  Balance  column 


111! 


90  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

register  and  subtracts  from  and  dears  the  crossfooter  register. 
Print  the  star  clear  signal  immediately  to  the  right  of  the 
Balance  column;  then  write  Mrs.  E.  F.  Eddy's  name  on  the 
margin  of  the  ledger  and  proof  sheet  as  heretofore  described. 

Having  completed  the  entry  the  crossfooter  is  clear.  The 
column  registers  prove  the  accuracy  of  the  work. 

Old  Balance  162  43  —  Credit  98  75  =  Balance  63  68. 

92— A  Credit  Posting  to  an  Account  Having  an  Old  Debit  Balance 
Smaller  Than  the  Credit  to  be  Posted 

Example:  Mrs.  F.  G.  Fuller,  who  owes  the  store  $34.25, 
sends  a  check  for  $35.00  to  be  placed  to  her  credit. 

Print  the  star  clear  signal  immediately  to  the  left  of  the 
Old  Balance  column ;  tabulate  to  tens  of  dollars  position  in  the 
Old  Balance  column  and  write  the  Old  Balance  34  25 ;  this 
simultaneously  adds  in  the  Old  Balance  column  register  and 
in  the  crossfooter  register;  shift  the  ribbon  to  write  red; 
tabulate  to  the  No.  column  and  write  the  cash  ticket  number; 
tabulate  to  the  Date  column  and  write  the  date;  tabulate  to 
the  Items  column  and  write  **Cash;"  tabulate  to  the  tens 
of  dollars  position  in  the  Credit  column  and  write  the  amount 
of  the  credit  35  00;  this  simultaneously  adds  in  the  Credit 
column  register  and  subtracts  from  the  crossfooter  register.  As 
the  credit  35  00  is  larger  than  the  Old  Balance  34  25,  the  cross- 
footer  register  shows  99999  25,  the  complement  of  the  amount 
the  store  owes  Mrs.  Fuller  or  a  credit  balance  of  '"^.  Tabulate 
to  the  first  (left)  register  wheel  in  the  Balance  column  which, 
if  a  7D  register,  would  be  tens  of  thousands  dollars  position; 
with  the  ribbon  still  set  to  write  red,  hold  down  the  shift 
key,  strike  the  black  9  non-print  key  five  times,  black  2  print 
key  once;  then  strike  complement  key  (which  changes  the 
remaining  5  in  the  crossfooter  to  4) ;  then  the  black  4  print  key. 
This  prints  "^  cents  credit  balance  in  red  and  oblique  type 
and  simultaneously  adds  the  complement  (99999  25)  in  the 
Balance  register  and  subtracts  from  and  clears  the  cross- 
footer  register.  Print  the  star  clear  signal  immediately  to 
the  right  of  the  Balance  column ;  then  write  Mrs.  F.  G.  Fuller's 
name  on  the  margin  of  the  ledger  and  proof  sheet  as  heretofore 
described. 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine         91 

Having  completed  the  entry  the  crossfooter  is  clear.  The 
column  registers  prove  the  accuracy  of  the  work. 

Old  Balance  34  25  —  Credit  35  00  =  Balance  99999  25. 

93— A  Credit  Posting  to  an  Account  Having  No  Old  Balance 

Example :  Mrs.  G.  H.  Gilling,  after  having  paid  her  month's 
bill,  discovers  that  a  humidor  she  had  purchased  at  $4.50  is 
not  satisfactory ;  she  returns  it  to  the  store  for  credit. 

Print  the  star  clear  signal  immediately  to  the  left  of  the 
Old  Balance  column;  there  is  no  old  balance;  switch  ribbon 
to  write  red;  tabulate  to  No.  column  and  write  number  of 
merchandise  credit;  tabulate  to  Date  column;  write  the  date; 
tabulate  to  the  Items  column;  write  "1  Humidor;"  tabulate  to 
units  of  dollars  position  and  write  amount  of  credit  4  50; 
this  simultaneously  adds  in  the  Credit  column  register  and 
subtracts  from  the  crossfooter  register.  As  there  was  no  Old 
Balance,  the  crossfooter  now  shows  a  credit  balance  of  99995  50 
or  the  complement  of  4  50  which  the  store  owes  Mrs.  Gilling. 
Tabulate  to  the  first  (left)  register  wheel  in  the  balance  column, 
which,  if  a  7D  register,  would  be  tens  of  thousands  dollars 
position  and  with  the  ribbon  still  set  to  write  red,  hold  down 
shift  key ;  strike  the  black  numeral  9  non-print  key  four  times, 
the  black  5  print  key  once;  strike  complement  key  (which 
reduces  the  remaining  5  in  the  crossfooter  register  to  4) ;  strike 
the  black  4  print  key,  and  the  alphabet  letter  O  key  once. 
This  prints  the  credit  balance  of  Nv  ^^  in  red  and  oblique 
type,  simultaneously  adds  the  complement  (99995  50)  in  the 
Balance  column  register,  subtracts  from  and  clears  the 
crossfooter  register.  Print  the  star  clear  signal  immediately  to 
the  right  of  the  Balance  column;  then  write  Mrs.  G.  H. 
Gilling's  name  on  the  margin  of  the  ledger  and  proof  sheet  as 
heretofore  described. 

Having  completed  the  entry  the  crossfooter  is  clear.  The 
column  registers  prove  the  accuracy  of  the  work. 

Old  Balance  0  00  —  Credit  4  50  =  Balance  99995  50. 

94 — A  Credit  Posting  to  an  Account  Having  an  Old  Credit  Bcilance 

Example:     Mrs.   H.   I.   Hinkle  received  her  monthly  bill 

.    from  the  store,  showing  a  balance  of  $45.10.     She  carelessly 

writes  a  check  for  $54.10  and  sends  it  to  the  store;  her  account 


92  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

is  overpaid  $9.00  The  store  owes  her  $9.00  before  she  returns 
the  following  items  for  credit.  This  increases  her  credit 
balance  to  $19.50. 

1  Child's  Suit $7.50 

1  Child's  Hat 3.00 


$10.50 


Print  the  star  clear  signal  immediately  to  the  left  of  the 
Old  Balance  column;  shift  ribbon  to  write  red;  tabulate  to 
first  (left)  register  wheel  in  Old  Balance  column  which,  if  a 
7D  register,  will  be  the  tens  of  thousands  dollars  position; 
hold  down  shift  key;  strike  red  numeral  0  non-print  key 
four  times;  strike  complement  key;  then  red  9  print  key  once 
and  alphabet  letter  O  key  twice.  This  prints  9  00  old  credit 
balance  in  red  and  oblique  type;  this  simultaneously  adds  the 
complement  of  9  00  (99991  00)  in  the  Old  Balance  register 
and  in  the  crossfooter  register.  Tabulate  to  No.  column  and 
write  merchandise  credit  ticket  number;  tabulate  to  Date 
column  and  write  the  date;  tabulate  to  Items  column  and 
enter  the  two  items  as  though  it  were  a  charge  ticket  (except 
it  is  written  in  red) ;  the  total  of  the  two  items  will  list  in  the 
5D  Items  register  and  show  a  total  of  10  50;  tabulate  to  the 
tens  of  dollars  position  in  the  Credit  column  and  write  the 
amount  of  the  Credit  10  50;  this  simultaneously  adds  in  the 
Credit  column  register  and  subtracts  from  the  crossfooter 
register.  The  crossfooter  now  shows  a  Credit  Balance  of 
99980  50,  the  complement  of  19  50  which  the  store  owes 
Mrs.  Hinkle.  Tabulate  to  the  first  (left)  register  wheel  in 
the  Balance  column,  which,  if  a  7D  register,  would  be  tens  of 
thousands  of  dollars  position ;  with  the  ribbon  still  set  to  write 
red,  hold  down  shift  key  and  strike  the  black  9  non-print  key 
three  times,  the  black  8  print  key  once,  the  black  numeral  0 
print  key  once;  strike  complement  key  (which  reduces  the 
remaining  5  in  the  crossfooter  to  4) ;  the  black  4  print  key  once 
and  the  alphabet  letter  O  key  once.  This  writes  the  credit 
balance  of  \9  ^0  in  red  and  oblique  type;  it  simultaneously 
adds  the  complement  (99980  50)  in  the  Balance  column  register 
and  subtracts  from  and  clears  the  crossfooter  register.  Print 
the  star  clear  signal  immediately  to  the  right  of  the  Balance 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine         93 

column;  then  write  Mrs.  H.  I.  Hinkle's  name  on  the  margin 
of  the  ledger  and  proof  sheet  as  heretofore  described. 

Having  completed  the  entry  the  crossfooter  is  clear.  The 
column  registers  prove  the  accuracy  of  the  work. 

Old  Balance  99991  00  — Credits  10  50  =  Balance  99980  50. 

95— Rules  for  Proving  the  Work 

Having  correctly  done  each  of  the  foregoing  examples 
separately,  now  start  with  a  clean  proof  sheet  and  do  each 
example  from  Axtel  to  Hinkle  over  again  exactly  as  described ; 
but  do  not  clear  the  column  registers  until  all  the  examples 
have  been  completed  and  the  totals  as  shown  by  the  column 
registers  have  been  written  on  the  proof  sheet,  with  the  adder 
disconnected,  as  described  below  in  this  section. 

If  you  have  done  all  the  work  correctly  your  proof  sheet 
will  be  an  exact  duplicate  of  the  one  illustrated  on  page  95. 

The  totals  as  shown  at  the  bottom  of  the  run  of  work 
prove  correct  operation.  Old  Balances  202  50  +  Debits 
83  22  —  Credits  148  75  =  balances  136  97. 

Now  observe:  While  making  the  individual  entries  the 
first  time,  that  sometimes  register  totals  appeared  as  comple- 
ments of  credit  balances;  these  complementary  figures  shown 
by  the  registers  balanced  the  work. 

Now  note :  When  all  these  entries  are  combined  in  one  run 
of  work,  the  final  register  totals  are  all  in  debit  balance 
amounts;  all  the  credit  balance  items  entered  are  less  than 
all  the  debit  balance  items  entered. 

The  point  to  always  remember  is  that  the  totals  as  actually 
shown  in  the  column  registers,  no  matter  whether  they 
appear  as  debit  or  credit  balance  amounts,  will,  if  the  work 
is  correctly  done,  always  balance.    Thus  the  rule: 

Old  Balance  register  total  plus  Debits  register  total  minus 
Credits  register  total  always  equals  the  Balance  Column 
register  total. 

First:  Copy  accurately  the  column  register  totals  with  the 
actuator  disconnected  (with  the  actuator  indicator  reading 
"total"). 

Second:    Clear  all  column  registers. 

Third:  Connect  the  actuator  (with  the  indicator  reading 
"add'*)  and  repeat  the  register  total  figures  from  the  proof 


94 


Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 


sheet.  This  balances  the  register  totals;  if  the  work  has  been 
done  correctly  the  star  clear  signal  can  be  printed  after  the 
balance  as  in  ordinary  operation. 

Occasionally  the  total  shown  in  the  Old  Balance  or  Balance 
Column  registers  may  represent  Credit  balances  which  are 
larger  than  the  Debit  balances.  In  such  cases  prove  the 
work  in  the  same  way  as  with  regular  figures.  If  necessary, 
the  actual  amount  of  the  credit  balance  can  be  written  below 
this  total,  after  the  work  has  been  proved,  as  follows: 

Old  Balance  Dr.  Cr.  Balance 

Total      99175.16  1329.81  986.29  99518.68 

Proof    *99175.16  1329.81  986.29  99518.68* 

C.  B.  824.84  C.  B.      481.32 


96— CAUTION 

Write  the  totals  first,  then  clear  the  column  registers  and 
balance  the  totals. 

Never  under  any  condition  or  circumstance  attempt  to 
balance  register  total  figures  and  write  the  totals  on  the  proof 
sheet  afterwards. 

Always  follow  this  rule  and  avoid  hunting  for  mistakes  at 
the  end  of  the  month.  Don't  pay  any  attention  to  some  one's 
pet  plan  which  you  are  told  is  better  or  shorter.  Stick  to 
these  instructions  if  you  wish  to  avoid  mistakes  at  the  end  of 
the  month. 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine 


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Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine         97 


Chapter  VI 
ERRORS 

97 — Errors  Resulting  From  Mis-operation  and  How  to  Correct 
Them 

Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine  when  properly 
operated  shows  up — detects — the  operator's  mistakes. 

The  machine  itself  cannot  see  that  the  operator  brings 
forward  the  Old  Balance  figures  correctly  or  that  the  amount 
of  a  debit  or  credit  posted  is  the  correct  one,  or  that  the 
operator  posts  to  the  right  account;  so  the  operator,  or  those 
in  control,  must  supply  the  correct  figures. 

Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine  with  the  Proof 
Sheet  is  designed  to  give  the  maximum  of  safety  against  operat- 
ing errors  and  also  to  show  up  errors  when  they  do  occur. 

Column  registers  total  the  Old  Balances  entered;  total  the 
postings  (Debits  or  Credits)  entered;  total  the  New  Balances 
entered.  These  column  registers  operate  independently  of 
each  other  or  of  the  crossfooter  register.  If  one  clerk  added 
Old  Balances,  a  second  clerk  added  postings  (Debits  or 
Credits),  a  third  clerk  added  Balances  only,  while  a  fourth 
clerk  computed  crosswise  to  secure  the  New  Balance  figure; 
when  all  these  four  clerks  had  finished  their  work,  all  their 
figures  had  balanced  one  against  the  other  to  prove  all  the 
entries;  the  proof  would  be  no  better  than  that  furnished 
by  the  column  and  crossfooting  registers  on  Elliott-Fisher 
The  Bookkeeping  Machine. 

If  all  these  four  clerks  doing  their  work  at  separate  oper- 
ations used  adding  and  listing  machines  and  then  brought 
the  listed  figures  together;  the  written  evidence  of  correct 
operation  would  not  be  nearly  so  complete  as  that  furnished 
by  the  one  proof  sheet  made  by  Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping 
Machine;  because  The  Bookkeeping  Machine  proof  sheet 
contains  in  addition  to  all  the  figures  listed,  all  details  about 
each  posting  and  the  name  of  the  account  to  which  each  posting 
was  made. 

The  proof  sheet  when  properly  made  and  analyzed  furnishes 
definite  evidence  of  the  cause  of  mistakes. 


98  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

98 — Locating  Errors 

When  every  day's  work  is  done  correctly  there  will  not  be 
any  mistakes  to  correct  at  the  end  of  the  month. 

If  your  books  don't  balance  at  the  end  of  the  month: 

Check  your  trial  balance  figures  to  see  if  you  have  entered 
thereon  all  balances  correctly  as  shown  by  the  ledger  accounts. 

While  making  this  check  see  that  you  carried  the  balance 
forward  correctly  from  the  old  to  the  new  ledger  page. 

Compare  the  new  trial  balance  sheet  with  the  one  for  the 
month  previous  to  see  that  all  accounts  have  been  taken  into 
consideration.  You  may  have  transferred  a  live  account, 
or  you  may  have  failed  to  transfer  a  dead  account. 

Look  over  your  proof  sheets  and  check  each  correction  to 
see  that  it  was  properly  made  on  the  ledger. 

Check  all  journal  transfers  and  special  entries. 

Check  your  control  sheet  with  the  Auditor's  control  sheet. 

Again  balance  each  day's  proof  sheets  for  the  month. 

Add  the  New  Balance  column  of  your  proof  sheets. 

Add  the  Old  Balance  column  of  your  proof  sheets. 

Add  the  Debit  and  Credit  columns  of  your  proof  sheets. 

You  may  have  improperly  used  the  complement  key. 
(See  Sections  77-80.) 

You  may  have  improperly  used  the  alphabet  letter  O  key, 
or  the  numeral  naught  key.    (See  Sections  70,  74.) 

You  may  have  used  the  shift  key  improperly.  (See  Sec- 
tion 81.) 

If  you  have  not  proved  bringing  down  the  Old  Balances 
daily  in  accordance  with  the  rule  (see  Section  27),  it  will  be 
necessary  to  add  each  account  in  the  ledger  or  check  each 
entry  until  the  error  in  bringing  forward  old  balance  is  found. 

Some  operators  add  and  balance  each  account  in  the  ledger 
at  the  end  of  the  month.  This  is  unnecessary  when  a  proof 
sheet  is  used  with  a  daily  pre-determined  total  of  old  balances 
of  accounts  affected.  Adding  and  balancing  each  ledger  ac- 
count is  evidence  of  careless  operation  or  of  poor  office  control. 

If  you  do  make  a  mistake  correct  it  yourself  immediately — 
don't  delay — you  might  forget.  Don't  make  a  correction  with 
a  memorandum  slip — the  slip  might  become  lost.  Don't 
tell  some  one  else  to  make  the  correction — it  might  not  be  done. 

When  you  correct  the  mistake,  make  the  correction  so 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine         99 

anyone  else  can  understand  it  and  know  that  there  has  been 
an  error  and  that  it  was  corrected. 

99 — Correction  of  Errors 

Since  human  beings  sometimes  make  mistakes,  there  must 
be  a  proper  means  for  correcting  errors  when  they  do  occur. 

It  is  important  to  know  how  to  make  corrections  and 
equally  important  that  the  correction  show  what  the  error 
was,  that  it  was  corrected  and  how  it  was  done. 

It  should  be  noted  that  some  errors  are  detected  the  mo- 
ment they  are  made,  either  by  the  machine  or  instinctively 
by  the  operator. 

Other  mistakes  may  not  show  up  until  balancing  or  proving 
the  day's  run  of  work. 

The  principle  of  correcting  all  mistakes,  no  matter  when 
they  are  detected,  is  always  the  same. 

100— The  Rule 

A  straight  contra-entry  correction  of  every  error  made  by 
a  bookkeeping  machine  operator  (whether  it  affects  the  Old 
Balance,  the  Debit,  the  Credit  or  the  New  Balance)  with  a 
brief  explanation  in  the  description  column  of  what  the  error  was 
and  how  it  was  corrected  is  fundamentally  good  bookkeeping. 

101 — Old  Balance  Column  Errors 

Contra-entry  means  that  any  error  in  the  Old  Balance  col- 
umn will  be  corrected  by  writing  the  same  (error)  figures  in 
the  New  Balance  column  and  then  entering  the  correct  fig- 
ures in  the  Old  Balance  column.     Example: 

An  old  balance  of  124.32  has  been  brought  forward  in  the 
Old  Balance  column  as  142.32.  To  correct  this  error  the 
operator  writes  142.32  in  the  balance  column  and  also  writes 
the  abbreviation  "Err"  opposite  the  error  amount  in  the 
Old  Balance  column  and  "Cor"  opposite  the  amount  in  the 
New  Balance  column,  after  which  the  operator  enters  the 
correct  Old  Balance  of  124.32  in  the  Old  Balance  column. 
Illustration : 

Old  Balance  Description  Dr.  Cr.     Balance 

♦142.32  Err        Wrong  Old  Balance  142.32*  Cor 

*124.32 


100  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

102— Debit  Column  Errors 

Contra-entry  means  that  any  error  in  the  Debit  column 
will  be  corrected  by  writing  the  same  (error)  figures  in  the 
Credit  column  and  then  entering  the  correct  figures  in  the 
Debit  column.  Example:  A  charge  of  23.25  has  been  en- 
tered in  the  Debit  column  as  28.25.  To  correct  this  error 
the  operator  writes  28.25  in  the  Credit  column  and  also  writes 
the  abbreviation  "  Err"  opposite  the  error  in  the  Debit  column 
and  "Cor"  opposite  the  amount  in  the  Credit  column,  after 
which  the  operator  enters  the  correct  charge  of  23.25  in  the 
Debit  column.    Illustration : 

Old  Balance     Description  Dr.  Cr.         Balance 

Wrong  Entry      28.25  Err    28.25  Cor 
23.25 

In  the  event  that  the  error  in  the  Debit  column  was  a 
charge  to  the  wrong  account  it  is  only  necessary  to  make  a 
contra-entry  in  the  Credit  column — or  in  other  words  credit 
the  account  with  the  amount  which  had  wrongly  been  charged 
to  that  account  with  the  proper  explanation  in  the  description 
column. 

103— Credit  Column  Errors 

Contra-entry  means  that  any  error  in  the  Credit  column 
will  be  corrected  by  writing  the  same  (error)  figures  in  the 
Debit  column  and  then  entering  the  correct  figures  in  the 
Credit  column.  Example:  A  credit  of  50.00  has  been  en- 
tered in  the  Credit  column  as  5.00.  To  correct  the  error  the 
operator  writes  5.00  in  the  Debit  column  and  also  writes  the 
abbreviation  "Err"  opposite  the  error  in  the  Credit  column 
and  "Cor"  opposite  the  amount  in  the  Debit  column,  after 
which  the  operator  enters  the  correct  credit  of  50.00  in  the 
Credit  column.    Illustration : 

Old  Balance     Description  Dr.  Cr.         Balance 

Wrong  Entry  5.00  Err 

5.00  Cor    50.00 

In  the  event  that  the  error  in  the  Credit  column  was  a 
credit  to  the  wrong  account  it  is  only  necessary  to  make  a 
contra-entry  in  the  Debit  column — or  in  other  words,  debit 


Elliott-Fisher  The  BooKKEE^iN^;]V|ACj5ri^^^. '  :  iOi  \ 

the  account  with  the  amount  which  had  wrongly  been  cred- 
ited to  that  account,  with  the  proper  explanation  in  the 
description  column. 

104 — Balance  Column  Errors 

Contra-entry  means  that  any  error  in  the  Balance  column 
will  be  corrected  by  writing  the  same  (error)  figures  in  the 
Old  Balance  column  and  then  entering  the  correct  figures  in 
the  Balance  column.  Example:  A  balance  of  37.40  has  been 
written  in  the  Balance  column  as  34.70.  To  correct  the  error 
the  operator  writes  34.70  in  the  Old  Balance  column  and 
writes  the  abbreviation  "Err"  opposite  the  error  amount  in 
the  Balance  column  and  "Cor"  opposite  the  amount  in  the 
Old  Balance  column,  after  which  the  operator  enters  the  cor- 
rect balance  of  37.40  in  the  Balance  column.     Illustration: 

Old  Balance  Description  Dr.  Cr.         Balance 

Wrong  Extension  34.70  Err 

34.70  Cor  37.40* 

105 — Correction  for  Each  Error 

Contra-entry  is  a  simple  way  of  saying  that  for  each  amount 
written  in  error  there  must  in  every  case  be  the  same  amount 
entered  opposite  to  offset  the  error.  When  there  is  only 
one  amount  in  error,  only  one  amount  to  offset  is  necessary. 
But  if  some  one  error  causes  other  errors  there  must  be 
correcting  entries  for  each  error.  Example:  An  old  balance 
of  124.32  has  been  brought  forward  in  the  Old  Balance  column 
as  142.32,  not  discovered  at  the  time  and  was  followed  by 
a  charge  or  debit  entry  of  10.00  and  the  balance  of  152.32 
resulted,  which  was  also  entered.  There  are  two  errors  to 
offset  by  contra-entries  in  order  to  complete  the  corrections. 
Both  these  erroneous  amounts  must  be  marked  "Err."  Then 
the  wrong  old  balance  of  142.32  must  be  written  in  the  Balance 
column  and  the  wrong  new  balance  of  152.32  must  be  written 
in  the  Old  Balance  column  with  "Cor"  written  opposite  both 
amounts,  after  which  the  correct  old  balance  of  124.32  must 
be  entered  in  the  Old  Balance  column,  and  the  correct  new 
balance  of  134.32  extended  in  the  Balance  column.  Illustration : 


it>2\ :  {   ^    '  J  i      ^  BOpRKEEPING  BY  MACHINERY 


Old  Balance     Description 

Dr. 

Cr. 

Balance 

*142.32  Err 

10.00 

152.32*  Err 

*152.32  Cor  Wrong  Balances 

142.32   Cor 

124.32 

134.32* 

All  the  examples  and  illustrations  of  Balances  and  Old 
Balances  show  Debit  balances  because  ninety-five  per  cent  of 
ordinary  work  shows  Debit  balances.  Occasionally,  however, 
a  Credit  Balance  or  overdraft  amount  will  be  encountered. 
The  rule  of  contra-entry  takes  care  of  the  correction  of  Credit 
balance  errors  the  same  as  it  does  on  Debit  Balances.  Ex- 
ample: An  old  credit  balance  of  19.75  is  brought  forward  in 
the  Balance  column  as  17.95.  To  correct  the  error  the  operator 
writes  17.95  in  the  Balance  column  and  also  writes  the  abbre- 
viation *'Err'*  opposite  the  error  amount  in  the  Old  Balance 
column  and  "Cor"  opposite  the  amount  in  the  New  Balance 
column,  after  which  the  operator  enters  the  correct  credit 
Old  Balance  of  19.75  in  the  Old  Balance  column.    Illustration: 

Old  Balance  Description  Dr.  Cr.         Balance 

*17,95  Err      Wrong  Old  Balance  17  JS'^  Cor 

*19J5 

106— Proof  Sheet  Record 

Experience  has  shown  that  without  the  proof  sheet,  the 
bookkeeper  at  the  end  of  the  month,  with  a  machine  posted 
ledger  out  of  balance,  is  in  identically  the  same  position  as  if 
his  ledger  had  been  posted  by  hand — and  must  do  just  what 
the  hand  bookkeeper  does,  check  through  the  ledger.  Any- 
one knows  what  a  despairing  job  that  is. 

The  proof  sheet  is  valuable  because  it  furnishes  a  record 
of  all  entries  in  the  day's  run  of  work  in  exactly  the  order  in 
which  the  entries  were  made. 

If  the  proof  sheet  of  all  entries  is  good  to  show  up  mistakes 
when  mistakes  do  occur,  it  is  certainly  just  as  necessary  that 
the  proof  sheet  show  the  correction  of  all  mistakes  so  that 
there  will  be  written  evidence  that  the  corrections  were  prop- 
erly made. 

All  corrections  must  be  made  with  the  print  and  add  keys 
and  show  on  bill  or  statement  and  ledger  as  well  as  on  the 
proof  sheet. 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine        103 

All  of  the  operator's  tracks  or  entries  must  appear  on  the  bill 
or  statement,  ledger  and  the  proof  sheet. 

It  won't  do  to  make  an  entry,  or  correction  on  any  one  record 
without  manifolding  it  at  the  same  operation  on  all  records. 

It  won't  do  to  make  corrections  with  the  non-print  keys 
any  more  than  it  will  do  to  make  regular  entries  with  the 
non-print  keys. 

It  won't  do  to  use  an  eraser  to  remove  any  items  printed 
in  error  because  an  eraser  destroys  the  evidence  of  what  was 
actually  done. 

107 — Proof  Sheet  Is  the  Itemized  Journal 

Good  accounting  practice  requires  a  separate  journalized 
entry  to  cover  correction  of  errors — ^written  evidence  that  cor- 
rections are  properly  cared  for.  The  proof  sheet  provides 
such  complete  information.  It  shows  the  error  as  well  as  the 
correction  and  furnishes  a  clear  record  of  everything  the 
operator  did  so  that  anyone  may  ascertain,  at  any  time,  from 
the  written  proof  sheet  record  just  how  and  when  all  entries 
and  all  corrections  were  made  and  the  reasons  for  making 
them. 

108 — Examples  of  Proof  Sheets 

Herewith  are  shown  the  proof  sheet  entries  of  a  sample  run 
of  work  containing  errors  which  were  detected  and  corrected 
in  the  run  of  work.  For  the  purpose  of  illustration  the  two  first 
errors  heretofore  described  are  used. 

Proof  Sheet  No.  3     Debits.  December  4,  1917 


Old  Balance   Description     Dr. 

Cr. 

Balance 

Forward  from  Sheet 

#2 

*  1027.53 

321.84 

1349.37* 

*       23.14 

4.89 

28.03* 

*        9.69 

3.15 

12.84* 

*       56.18 

12.50 

68.68* 

Error  #  1  and 

correction 

♦     142.32  Err.- 

-Wrong 

old  balance 

142.32  Cor. 

124.32 

5.00 

129.32* 

♦       15.26 

.98 

16.24* 

♦       56.72 

6.46 

63.18* 

*         8.63 

1.95 

10.58* 

*      41.62 

17.98 

59.60* 

K 

*       19.28 

4.85 

24.13* 

1 

*        8.75 

3.75 

12.50* 

104 


Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 


Error  #  2  and 

correction          *       50.00 

Wrong 

Entry 

28.25  Err. 

28.25  Cor. 

23.25 

73.25* 

♦       24.55 

9.50 

34.05* 

Register  totals  at     1607  .99 

444.35 

28.25 

2024.09 

end  of  run         *  1607.99 

444.35 

28.25 

2024.09* 

Total  of  errors     *     142.32 

28.25 

28.25 

142.32* 

Net  Result        1465.67 

416.10 

00.00 

1881.77 

Proof            *    1465.67 

416.10 

00.00 

1881.77* 

When  corrections  have  been  properly  made  the  totals  of 
the  errors  are  always  the  same  in  the  Old  Balance  column 
and  the  Balance  column  and  the  totals  of  errors  in  the  Debit 
and  Credit  columns  are  always  the  same. 

Now  let  us  show  the  proof  sheet  of  a  run  of  work  contain- 
ing errors  which  were  not  discovered  until  the  run  of  work 
was  completed  and  the  correction  of  those  errors  made  after- 
wards, using  errors  Nos.  2  and  5  heretofore  described. 


Proof  Sheet  No.  5     Debits,  December  4,  1917 


Old  Balance   Description 
Forward  from  Sheet 


Dr. 


Cr. 


Balance 


#4 


Error  #  2 


Error  #5       (a) 


1801.05 
75.00 

112.20 

8.00 

19.80 

100.00 
50.60 
45.24 

150.00 

142 . 32X 
38.29 
17.21 


Register  totals  at 
end  of  run  2559.71 

Proof  *  2559.71 


(c) 


421.20 

2222.25* 

20.00 

95.00* 

30.18 

142.38* 

2.50 

10.50* 

3.40 

23 . 20* 

28.25X 

(b)X128.25* 

11.20 

61.80* 

16.80 

62 . 04* 

50.00 

200.00* 

10.00 

(b)X152.32* 

5.00 

43.29* 

4.64 

21.85* 

603.17 

3162.88 

603.17 

3162.88* 

Old  Balance  total  2559.71  does  not  prove  with  the  pre- 
determined adding  machine  total  of  old  balances  which  is 
2541.71  and  error  No.  5  is  discovered.  Debits  total  of  603.17 
does  not  prove  with  the  pre-determined  total  of  charges  to 
be  entered  of  598. 1 7  and  error  No.  2  is  discovered.  As  errors  are 
located  on  the  proof  sheet  mark  each  error  with  a  heavy  cross 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine 


105 


(X).    Corrections  are  made  by  entries  on  ledger,  bill  or  state- 
ment and  a  new  proof  sheet  as  illustrated  below. 

Debit  Proof  Sheet  of  Corrections  on  Sheet  No.  5, 
December  4,  1917 


Old  Balance   Description     Dr. 

Cr. 

Balance 

Run  totals  for- 

ward 

♦2559.71                    603.17 

Err. 

3162.88* 

Correction  error 

#2 

(a)    *128.25  Err.— wrong 

28.25  Cor.  (d) 

entry 

23.25 

123  25* 

Err. 

Err. 

Correction 

(a)    *152.32  Cor.— wrong 
balances 

(b)  142. 32  Cor. 

Error  #  5 

124.32 

134.32* 

Totals 

2964.60                    626.42 

28.25 

3562.77 

*2964.60                    626.42 

28.25 

3562.77* 

Total  of  errors    (a)  *422 .  89                 (c)  28 .  25  (d)  28 .  25 

(b)  422.89* 

Net  Results 

2541.71                    598.17 

00.00 

3139.88 

Proof 

*2541.71                    598.17 

00.00 

3139.88* 

109— To  Secure  Total  of  Errors 

To  secure  total  of  errors  when  a  separate  proof  sheet  for 
corrections  is  used,  total  the  amounts  in  each  column  on  cor- 
rection proof  sheet  marked  "Err"  and  "Cor"  and  add  to 
these  totals  the  amounts  in  error  marked  by  a  heavy  cross  on 
the  regular  run  proof  sheets.  These  are  all  amounts  which 
would  not  appear  if  the  work  had  been  done  correctly  in  the 
first  place;  they  must  be  deducted  to  reconcile  the  register 
totals  with  the  pre-determined  totals;  then  the  final  totals 
will  balance. 

The  amounts  which  make  up  these  "Error"  totals  are 
identified  by  "a,"  "b,"  "c"  and  "d."  The  old  Balance  total 
422.89  is  made  up  of  the  three  amounts  marked  "a,"  142.32, 
128.25  and  152.32 ;  the  Debit  total  28.25  consists  of  the  amount 
28.25  marked  "c;"  the  Credit  total  28.25  consists  of  the 
amount  28.25  marked  "d;"  the  Balance  total  422.89  is  made 
of  the  three  amounts  marked  "b,"  128.25,  152.32  and  142.32. 

110 — Authority  for  Corrections 

Good  accounting  practice  usually  places  some  restrictions 
upon  the  right  of  the  bookkeeper  to  make  changes  or  correc- 
tions in  accounts  on  the  ledger. 


106  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

In  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery  the  general  rule  is: 

When  an  error  is  detected  as  soon  as  it  is  made  the  Book- 
keeping machine  operator  corrects  it  immediately  as  described, 
on  the  ledger,  bill  or  statement  and  proof  sheet  without  other 
authority.  The  proof  sheet  is  written  evidence  of  what  was  done. 

When  an  error  is  discovered  in  proving  the  work  at  the 
end  of  the  run  of  posting  the  Bookkeeping  Machine  operator 
corrects  it  immediately  as  described,  on  the  ledger,  bill  or 
statement  and  proof  sheet  without  other  authority.  The  proof 
sheet  is  written  evidence  of  what  was  done. 

All  errors  which  show  up  after  the  day's  work  is  finished 
can  only  be  corrected  by  entries  made  from  a  voucher  giving 
full  particulars  of  the  error  and  correction.  This  voucher 
must  be  approved  by  an  official  or  properly  authorized  clerk 
before  the  Bookkeeping  Machine  operator  enters  it  on  the 
ledger,  bill  or  statement  and  proof  sheet.  All  voucher  corrections 
should  be  entered  on  a  special  correction  voucher  proof  sheet. 

Should  there  be  a  freak  error  which,  through  careless  opera- 
tion as  indicated  in  Sections  70-81,  the  operator  passes  by 
in  the  day's  work,  it  will  show  up  in  the  trial  balance.  To 
correct  it,  a  signed  authorization  correction  voucher  is  secured 
and  the  balance  as  shown  is  picked  up,  a  debit  or  credit  entry 
is  made  to  correct  it,  with  the  necessary  explanation ;  a  cor- 
rection proof  sheet  must  be  made  to  properly  record  the  entry. 
The  only  difference  is  that  the  trial  balance  will  be  the  author- 
ity for  the  correctness  of  the  work  instead  of  the  proof  sheet. 
The  proof  sheet  is  the  authority  for  the  correction  of  errors 
which  are  detected  in  the  day's  work. 

Ill — Rewriting  Bills  or  Statements 

Any  bill  or  statement  on  which  there  has  been  an  error  and 
correction  made  should  be  re-written  and  carefully  checked 
with  the  ledger  before  it  is  mailed  to  the  customer.  In  this 
way  nothing  but  a  perfect  bill  or  statement  is  ever  sent  to  the 
customer. 

Perhaps  some  one  may  say  there  would  be  too  many  bills  or 
statements  to  rewrite,  but  experience  shows  otherwise ;  besides 
what  is  worth  doing  at  all  is  worth  doing  well.  Furthermore, 
the  greater  the  penalty  for  being  careless  and  making  mistakes, 
the  fewer  errors  there  will  be  to  contend  with. 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine        107 

Any  operator  should  be  ashamed  to  admit  that  she  makes 
so  many  mistakes  that  rewriting  bills  or  statements  containing 
errors  would  be  much  of  a  task. 

112— What  Causes  Mistakes? 

The  operator  tries  to  make  the  correction  but  fails  to  do  so. 

Puts  it  off  until  some  other  time,  depends  on  memory  and 
forgets. 

Makes  the  correction  on  the  proof  sheet  but  not  on  ledger 
and  bill  or  statement. 

Makes  correction  on  proof  sheet  and  bill  or  statement  but 
not  on  ledger. 

Makes  correction  on  bill  or  statement  but  not  on  ledger  or 
proof  sheet. 

The  error  is  such  that  the  operator  thinks  it  easier  to 
rewrite  the  entire  ledger  and  bill  or  statement  rather  than 
correct  them,  and  does  not  rewrite  them  accurately. 

Inserts  a  slip  in  the  ledger  as  a  memorandum  to  make 
correction  later,  the  slip  is  lost  and  the  error  is  not  corrected. 

Erases  the  error  on  the  proof  sheet  and  destroys  all  means  of 
proving  what  was  done  and  all  means  of  checking  the  work  later. 

Doesn't  know  how  to  make  the  correction,  but  attempts 
it  just  the  same. 

Is  uncertain  whether  the  correction  was  made  or  not, 
but  doesn't  take  the  pains  to  ascertain  definitely  then  and  there. 

Operator  balances  run  totals  before  writing  the  totals  on 
the  proof  sheet  instead  of  writing  the  totals  first  and  balancing 
afterwards  (see  Section  95.) 

Operator  copies  run  totals  with  actuator  set  to  "add" 
instead  of  set  to  write  "totals"  (see  Section  95),  and  copies 
Balance  total  out  of  the  crossfooter  register  instead  of  out  of 
the  Balance  column  register. 

Operator  makes  part  or  whole  of  some  entry  with  the  adding 
register  or  the  crossfooter  inoperative  and  computes  mentally. 

Operator  doesn't  complete  each  task  separately  and  has 
tickets,  correction  sHps,  etc.,  scattered  about  desk. 

Too  much  of  operator's  time  consumed  doing  other  people's 
work. 

Operator  not  responsible  for  locating  own  mistakes — other 
clerks  doing  it  for  her. 


108  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

Office  control  is  poor. 

Control  figures  are  changed  after  operator  has  proved  against 
control  total. 

Operator  tries  to  attain  speed  greater  than  is  consistent 
with  accuracy. 

Operator  in  starting  a  new  ledger  page  fails  to  bring  balance 
forward  to  next  page  correctly. 

Operator  transfers  live  ledger  account. 

Operator  is  not  careful  to  register  ledger  and  bill  or  state- 
ment and  records  an  entry  back  (over  some  previous  entry)  of 
the  last  entry  on  the  ledger — last  bill  or  statement  goes  out 
correctly  but  last  amount  on  ledger  sheet  is  not  the  balance. 

Last  month's  trial  balance  figures  changed  without  noti- 
fying the  Bookkeeping  Machine  Operator. 

Operator  doesn't  indicate  credit  balance  properly. 

Operator  brings  down  old  credit  balance  as  a  debit  balance 
or  vice  versa. 

Operator  doesn't  show  sub-totals  on  the  bottom  of  each 
proof  sheet. 

Operator  doesn't  balance  her  day's  work  carefully  each 
day. 

Operator  doesn't  transfer  filled  ledger  sheets  promptly  and 
lets  them  accumulate  in  the  binder  with  live  accounts,  and 
posts  some  items  to  a  ledger  sheet  that  should  have  been 
transferred. 

Operator  doesn't  number  the  ledger  pages  and  posts  an 
item  back  of  the  transferred  balance  (see  Section  114). 

Operator  doesn't  use  the  machine  correctly;  starts  with 
registers  not  clear;  backs  partly  into  a  register  to  rewrite  a 
figure;  throws  figures  foreign  to  the  work  into  the  machine 
while  work  is  in  progress;  erases  and  rewrites  figures  that  have 
already  been  registered. 

The  employer  provides  proof  sheet  facilities  but  the  opera- 
tor does  not  use  the  proof  sheet  properly. 

While  the  list  above  may  seem  a  formidable  array  of 
errors  that  might  happen,  the  proof  sheet  quickly  shows  them 
up  and  classifies  them  in  detail.  It  is  as  nothing  compared 
to  a  catalogue  of  common  mistakes  in  hand  bookkeeping  or 
where  machines  are  used  to  do  the  work  at  separate  operations. 

There  can  be  no  efficient  bookkeeping  without  the  proof  sheet. 


CQ 


-Si 


en 


^ 


^ 


I 


Elliott- Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine        111 

Chapter  VII 
GENERAL  INFORMATION 

113 — Different  Colored  Carbon  Convenient  for  Reference 

In  department  and  retail  store  work  where  there  are  many 
items  crowded  closely  together,  the  complaint  is  sometimes 
made  that  it  is  difficult  to  see  quickly  just  where  one  month 
ends  and  the  next  month  begins.  Quite  frequently  the 
operator  forgets  to  write  the  name  of  the  month  at  the  start 
of  a  new  month's  posting.  This  makes  it  difficult  to  determine 
what  month  the  record  covers. 

These  troubles  and  complaints  do  not  arise  where  proper 
care  is  used,  but  in  large  departments  it  is  often  difficult  to 
keep  everyone  under  control — and  in  small  institutions  it 
often  happens  that  those  in  charge  are  too  busy  with  other 
things  to  watch  the  details. 

There  is  a  way  which  prevents  this  kind  of  trouble,  viz.: 

Use  a  different  colored  carbon  paper  over  the  ledger  sheet 
each  month.    (See  illustration  on  page  116.) 

For  example:  February  posting  to  the  ledger  is  done 
through  blue  carbon.  March  posting  to  the  ledger  is  done 
through  purple  carbon.  April  posting  to  the  ledger  is  done 
through  black  carbon. 

Black,  purple  and  blue  will  be  found  sufficient  in  all  ordinary 
cases  to  make  decided  contrast  between  each  month's  work 
and  to  bridge  over  inactive  months  when  some  customers 
may  not  purchase. 

By  this  arrangement  anyone  using  the  ledger  for  reference 
purposes  can  see  at  a  glance  what  constitutes  each  month's 
record. 

The  difficulty  of  changing  carbon  sheets  or  carbon  rolls 
at  the  beginning  of  each  month  is  nothing  compared  to  the 
time  saved  during  the  month.  Purchases  as  well  as  payments 
during  the  current  month  stand  out  in  contrast  to  those 
made  during  the  preceding  months. 


114— Transferring  Filled  Ledger  Sheets 

When  a  ledger  sheet  is  filled  it  should  be  taken  out  of  the 
current  binder  and  transferred.     It  should  be  done  the  day 


112  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

the  amount  is  carried  forward  to  a  new  ledger  sheet.  When 
it  is  transferred  the  bookkeeper  proves  the  entries  thereon 
from  the  last  trial  balance  and  sees  that  the  correct  amount 
is  forwarded  to  the  new  ledger  sheet  which  takes  its  place. 
There  should  not  be  any  occasion  to  refer  to  the  transferred 
sheet  in  balancing. 

If  there  are  reasons  for  keeping  the  dead  ledger  sheet  in 
the  current  binder  until  the  end  of  the  month,  then  it  should 
be  turned  upside  down,  so  it  cannot  be  mistaken  for  a  live 
account. 

Regular  reverse  ledger  sheets  or  those  punched  for  binding 
on  both  sides  can  be  turned  upside  down  to  distinguish  from 
Hve  accounts.  Tumble  form  ledger  sheets  cannot  be  turned 
upside  down  because  one  side  is  always  upside  down.  They 
can  have  a  heavy  pencil  line  drawn  from  upper  left-hand  corner 
diagonally  across  the  page  to  the  lower  right-hand  corner. 

Leaving  dead  ledger  sheets  in  the  binder  until  the  end  of  the 
month  is  dangerous.  When  the  bookkeepers  get  busy  the 
first  of  next  month  they  may  neglect  to  transfer  the  dead 
accounts. 

Ledger  sheets  should  never  be  marked  Sheet  No.  1.  One 
side  should  be  marked  Page  No.  1  and  the  reverse  side  Page 
No.  2.  Then  there  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  which  side  was 
first  and  no  time  is  ever  lost  to  know  where  the  postings 
begin  and  end. 

These  are  important  details  which  help  in  getting  the  de- 
sired results  of  "nothing-to-do-at-the-end-of-the-month-but- 
mail-the-bill." 

115 — Round  Corner  Ledger  Sheets 

Round  corner  ledger  sheets  are  most  desirable  for  Book- 
keeping by  Machinery. 

Round  corner  ledger  sheets  slide  easily  under  the  carbon. 
Round  corner  sheets  do  not  turn  up  at  the  corner. 
Round  corner  ledger  sheets  are  more  easily  handled. 
Round  corner  ledger  sheets  don't  catch  on  carbon  paper. 
Round  corner  ledger  sheets  are  most  efficient. 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine 


113 


116— Monthly  Bill  Coupon 

Bookkeeping  by  Machinery  makes  it  possible  to  use  what 
is  known  as  the  coupon-head  bill  illustrated  on  page  115.  The 
coupon  portion  of  the  bill  is  returned  by  the  customer  when 
remitting.  This  obviates  returning  paid  bills,  envelopes  and 
postage  expense. 

The  coupon  portion,  which  has  been  returned  by  the 
customer,  illustrated  on  the  same  page,  is  used  by  the  book- 
keepers as  a  unit  cash  posting  medium.  This  eliminates  the 
possibility  of  misreading  the  name  on  a  poorly  written  cash 
ticket. 

117 — Collection  Department  Information 

Use  of  bill  stubs  as  illustrated  on  page  115  provides  the  Col- 
lection Department  with  the  desired  unit  information  about 
each  and  all  accounts  instantly  at  the  end  of  the  month. 
These  stubs  enable  the  Collection  Department  to  follow  up 
all  delinquent  or  questionable  accounts  promptly. 


Standard  Two 
Post  Binder 


118— Physical  Make-Up  of  Ledger 

Illustrated  herewith  is  a  standard  loose  leaf  ledger  binder. 
One  ledger  binder  may  constitute  a  complete  ledger,  or  only 
a  complete  ledger  division.  One  ledger  binder  may  be  only 
a  part  of  a  complete  ledger,  or  only  a  part  of  a  complete  ledger 


1^^ 


114  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

division.  For  example:  One  ledger  binder  might  contain 
all  the  accounts  from  A  to  Z,  or  one  ledger  binder  might 
contain  only  accounts  in  a  complete  division  A  to  C,  or  a 
ledger  binder  might  contain  only  the  B  portion  of  the  complete 
ledger  division  A  to  C.     (See  Section  34.) 

119 — Kinds  of  Ledgers 

There  are  various  kinds  and  makes  of  loose  leaf  ledger 
binders.  There  is  also  the  card  ledger  handled  in  different 
ways — in  trays,  boxes,  or  by  other  means. 

Some  business  houses  prefer  loose  leaf  ledgers;  others  have 
a  preference  for  card  ledgers. 

Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine  will  operate  in 
connection  with  any  standard  loose  leaf  ledger  or  any  card 
ledger. 

Some  forms  of  loose  leaf  ledger  binders  and  certain  card 
methods  are,  however,  better  for  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 
than  others.  Freak  designs  of  loose  leaf  ledgers  place  a  great 
handicap  on  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery  and  should  be  avoided. 

120— Solid-Hole  Punched  Ledger  Sheets 

The  business  world  has  been  educated  to  standard  sectional 
two-post  loose  leaf  binders  which  compress  the  sheets  between 
the  covers,  regardless  of  the  number  of  sheets  in  the  binder, 
for  security  in  keeping  the  leaves  in  place. 

Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine  is  used  to  best 
advantage  in  connection  with  the  standard  sectional  two- 
post  loose  leaf  binders  with  solid  hole-punched  ledger  sheets. 

The  strong  feature  of  these  binders  for  Bookkeeping  by 
Machinery  is  that  in  operation  they  lie  flat  on  the  desk  or 
pedestal  beside  the  operator's  machine  and  the  sheets  with 
solid  holes  are  held  on  posts  and  cannot  be  removed  from  the 
binder  and  taken  away.  As  the  binder  lies  flat  there  is  no 
possibility  of  any  sheets  flopping  backward  or  forward  and  on 
that  account  becoming  misplaced.  For  reference  purposes  the 
binder  lies  flat,  opens  and  reads  like  a  regular  book,  from  left 
to  right. 

The  standard  sectional  two-post  binder  and  standard  solid- 
hole  punched  ledger  sheets  are  most  economical  and  durable; 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine 


115 


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Monthly  Bill  with  Coupon 


Bookkeeping  by  Machinery  makes  it  possible  to  use  what 
is  known  as  the  coupon-head  bill  illustrated  on  this  page. 
The  coupon  portion  of  the  bill  is  returned  by  the  customer 
when  remitting.  This  obviates  returning  paid  bills,  envelopes 
and  postage  expense. 

The  coupon  portion,  which  has  been  returned  by  the  cus- 
tomer, is  used  by  the  bookkeepers  as  a  unit  cash  posting 
medium.  This  eliminates  the  possibility  of  misreading  the 
name  on  a  poorly  written  cash  ticket. 

The  stub  shown  on  the  left  is  used  for  collection  purposes. 
The  account  is  analyzed  and  notation  made  of  overdue 
amounts  opposite  the  proper  monthly  headings. 


116 


Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 


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Ledger  Sheet,  Showing  Distinctive  Colors  for  Different  Months 


Ledger  account  with  Mrs.  H.  C.  Gilson,  showing  her 
purchases  and  credits  for  February,  March  and  April. 

Note  the  three  colors  of  carbon  paper  used.  These  clearly 
define  each  month's  account,  prevent  errors  and  save  time 
when  referring  to  the  account. 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine 


117 


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» 

Proof  Sheet 


Proof  sheet  of  charges  and  credits  posted  April  4th.  All 
accounts  affected  are  shown  with  the  customers'  names. 

At  the  bottom  are  totals  of  old  and  new  balances,  as  well 
as  totals  of  charges  and  credits  to  this  particular  ledger  for 
the  day. 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine        119 

they  may  be  secured  from  any  good  stationery  or  loose  leaf 
supply  house  anywhere. 

Solid  hole  ledger  sheets  cannot  be  misplaced  or  lost  except 
through  gross  carelessness.  The  standard  sectional  two-post 
binder  of  good  grade  containing  solid  hole  ledger  sheets  keeps 
its  shape  and  appearance  no  matter  how  it  is  handled. 

The  solid-hole  punched  ledger  sheets,  the  standard  two- 
post  binder  and  The  Bookkeeping  Machine  always  produce 


TLl- ~n  rTTTTTT 

Posting  Bar  placed  hack  to  hack  with  the  Ledger 

satisfactory  results.  The  successful  combination  of  the  three, 
by  means  of  the  posting  bar,  is  shown  in  the  illustrations  here- 
with. In  the  first  picture  you  will  see  the  posting  bar  placed 
back  to  back  with  the  ledger,  from  which  the  cover  has  been 
removed  and  laid  to  one  side.  As  the  operator  posts,  the  sheets 
are  removed  from  the  regular  binder  posts  and  placed  over  the 
tapered  posts  of  the  posting  bar,  as  is  shown  in  the  second 
picture.  The  binder  is  a  regular  post  binder;  the  sheets  are 
the  standard  solid-hole  punched  ledger  sheets.  When  the 
operator  has  finished  a  run  of  postings,  all  of  the  sheets  which 
are  on  the  binder  posts,  as  in  the  first  illustration,  have,  of 
course,  been  handled  and  are  on  the  two  posts  of  the  posting 
bar.  Now  note  that  (in  the  first  illustration)  the  metal  piece 
on  which  the  two  posts  of  the  posting  bar  are  mounted  is  a 


imiiij 

Showing  part  of  sheets  on  Posting  Bar  Posts 

little  longer  than  the  board  is  wide.  When  the  sheets  have  all 
been  turned  over  on  the  posting  bar  posts,  one  grasps  all  of 
the  sheets  and  the  ends  of  this  metal  strip  in  both  hands  and 
lifts  it  all  off  the  board.  The  whole  mass  of  sheets  and  posting 
bar  posts  are  then  turned  over  the  binder.    The  tops  of  the 


120  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 

tapered  posting  bar  posts  are  inserted  in  the  hollow  tops  of  the 
regular  binder  posts;  then  the  whole  mass  of  ledger  sheets 
slide  down  on  the  regular  binder  posts.     The  posting  bar  is 


TiTTTrr 

Returning  Ledger  Sheets  to  Binder 

removed  and  the  binder  top  cover  is  placed  into  position  and 
locked. 

This  posting  bar  arrangement  is  most  satisfactory  because 
the  posts  while  being  used  are  held  in  a  rigidly  upright  position. 
There  is  nothing  wobbly  about  it  so  there  is  no  difficulty  in 
placing  the  sheets  rapidly  over  these  posts.  The  binder  and 
board  both  lie  perfectly  flat  so  there  is  nothing  to  reach  over 
and  nothing  inconvenient  in  operation.  Sheets  are  used  in 
the  regular  way,  the  headings  are  in  their  natural  position 
and  everything  is  in  direct  line  of  vision.  When  the  work  is 
all  done  it  takes  less  time  to  put  all  of  the  sheets  back  in  the 
regular  binder  and  put  the  cover  on  than  it  takes  to  tell  it. 

The  regular  solid-hole  punched  sheets  can't  get  out  of 
position.    The  binder  retains  a  neat  appearance. 

The  solid  hole  sheets  cannot  be  lost  from  the  binder;  they 
are  not  taken  away;  they  are  not  misplaced  in  position  during 
posting ;  if  anyone  desires  to  see  an  account  the  binder  is  taken 
instead  of  removing  a  sheet. 

For  reference  purposes  the  binder  has  all  of  the  safety  and 
security  of  the  bound  book,  plus  all  of  the  convenience  and 
economy  in  stationery  and  operation  of  the  standard  loose 
leaf  ledger. 

121 — Speed  Is  Measured  by  Accuracy 

When  a  business  house  contemplates  putting  on  another 
hand  bookkeeper,  the  applicant  is  never  asked  "How  fast  can 
you  post?"     Rapidity  in  hand-posting  is  never  thought  of 


Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine        121 

(never  has  been) — accuracy  is  the  principal  consideration. 
The  applicant  must  be  reliable,  for  safety  is  what  the  business 
house  wants  first,  last  and  all  the  time.  Perhaps  after  the 
applicant  has  become  an  employee  he  may  sometimes  be  spoken 
of  as  a  fast  bookkeeper.  Speed  in  this  case  has  reference  to 
a  bookkeeper  who  does  his  work  carefully  and  accurately  and 
has  a  correct  trial  balance  without  delay.  The  hand  book- 
keeper who  balances,  proves  and  finishes  the  month's  work 
promptly  is  considered  a  good  hand  bookkeeper  because  he 
does  his  work  well  and  finishes  on  time. 

In  Bookkeeping  by  Machinery,  speed  is  judged  the  same  as 
it  is  in  hand  bookkeeping;  that  is  doing  each  day's  work 
so  carefully,  thoroughly  and  accurately  that  there  will  be  no 
delay  in  balancing  and  finishing  at  the  end  of  the  month. 

Elliott-Fisher  The  Bookkeeping  Machine  properly  operated 
is  the  fastest  known  way  of  doing  accurate  bookkeeping  be- 
cause it  makes  the  ledger,  bill  or  statement  and  proof  sheet  all 
at  one  simple,  easy  operation.  Furthermore,  if  the  operator 
does  make  a  mistake  it  is  detected  instantly  and  by  means 
of  the  proof  sheet  can  be  quickly  located  and  corrected  and 
the  day's  work  positively  balanced,  so  that  there  are  no 
mistakes  to  hunt  for  at  the  end  of  the  month. 

Speed  in  Bookkeeping  must  be  judged  by  the  amount  of 
accurate  work  completed  and  not  by  hurried  operation. 


Index 


Section 

Accounting  Records 2-5,  10,  11 

Accounts  Payable 9,  10,  12 

Accounts  Receivable 6,  12,  13 

Accuracy 121  and  page  "To  the 

Operator" 

Adding 57,60,61 

Alphabet  Letter  O  Key 67,  71,  75 

Audit  by  Departments 13,  32 

Balances 20,  59,  63,  68,  72,  83,  86 

Bookkeeping,  Rules  for 12 

Bill  (or  statement). . ..  1,  4,  24,  111,  116 
Binders 118,120 

Carbon  Paper 113 

Cash  Payments 11,  12,  13,  16,  23 

Clear-Signal 45,  46,  56 

CO.  D 32,38 

Collection  Department 117 

Complements 59,  76-80 

Control 5,  12,  31-38,  52,  54 

Corrections  of  Errors 97-112 

Coupon,  Monthly  Bill 116 

Credits, 

12,  13,  15-17,  23,  28-30,  46,  91-94 
Crossfooter .  21,  45,  46,  51,  54,  55,  56,  60 

Debits  (Charges), 

12,  13, 14,  17,  28-30,  87-90 

Examples 59,  61,  65-82,  87-94,  108 

Errors 82,97-112 

Figures 63 

Flat  Writing  Surface 84 

Forms 85 

General  Information 113-121 

Information,  Collection  Department, 

117 

Journal 3,  11,  17,  23,  37, 107 

Keys 62,66-81 

Ledgers 

Bank 12 

General 5 

Definition  of 2 

Itemized 8 

Departmental 3,  10 

Kinds  of 119 

Loose-Leaf 18,  115 

Material 10 

New 22 

Old 21 

Others 11 

Physical  Make-Up 118 

Private 11 

Purchase 5,  9 

Public  Service 11 


Section 
Ledgers 

Retail 8 

Sales 6,8 

Sheets 114,115,120 

Skeleton 7,  12 

Stock 11 

Wholesale 7,12,25 

Without  Statement 25 

Letter  O  Key 67,  71,  75 

Loose-Leaf  Records 18 

Mechanical  Operation 39-96 

Non-Print  Keys 62 

Numeral  0  Key 66,  69,  70,  73,  74 

Oblique  Type 63 

Operation,  Mechanical 39-96 

Operation  of  Posting 86-94 

Posting, 
1 1-14, 16, 19, 23, 28, 29, 30, 32, 46, 86-96 

Posting  Medium  Units ....  2,  14,  19,  20 

Principles  of 
Accounts  Receivable  Routine  De- 
scribed   13 

Bookkeeping  by  Machinery 1 

Control 31 

Machine  Operation 46 

Proof 

Old  Balance 20,27,34 

Work 12,26,95,96 

Posting  to  Right  Account 86 

Proof  Sheet. 4, 23, 25, 46, 97, 98, 106-110 

Registers, 

21,  27,  39-45,  46,  47, 49,  50,  53,  55,  60 
Rules.  .  12,  48,  59,  64,  83,  95,  96,  97, 100 

Sales  Tickets 8,  13,  32,  34 

Shift  Key 81 

Sorting  Desk 13 

Speed ....121 

Star  Clear  Signal  Printing  Device, 

45, 46,  56 
Statement  (or  Bill) .  .  1, 4,  24,  25,  26,  111 

Stops 47,49,51,54 

Stuffing  the  Ledger 19 

Subtracting 57,  58,  60,  61,  64, 65,  80 

Tabulating 48 

Totals 20,  27,  34,  40,  95, 96, 109 

Transfers 1,21,37,114 

Trial  Balance 1,  12,  21 

Vendors'  Accounts 12 

Writing,  Adding  and  Subtracting, 

57,  58,  60,  61 
Writing  Surface 84 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  50  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.00  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


JAN  16    IB'ife 


Aua  22  194T 


JUL    3  a  194G 


SEP    Q^^ 


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jJL  2g  \937 


OCT  2g  193; 


f!iar'49W 


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MAR    1 


APR    32 


1S39 


SEP   181940 


LD  21-100jn-7,'33 


II 


y-C  2A806 


.n<) 


«i» 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


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